


The Promise That Forged The Blades

by Thequalityrunaway



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Fantasy, M/M, Magic, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-25 21:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 34,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4977118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thequalityrunaway/pseuds/Thequalityrunaway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Another empty puppet" his voice had never sounded so cold - More and more people were failing to be worthy enough of Jenova's gifts. More and more people were dying because they lacked faith. Cloud refused to be another nobody lost amongst a thousand other faithless failures. But when a silver-eyed Blade appeared Cloud's journey changed forever - "Aeui ora kra. You are free"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Another empty puppet."

His voice had never sounded so cold.

* * *

More and more people were failing to be worthy enough of Jenova's gifts. More and more people were dying due to Her will; because they lacked faith.

Cloud refused to be another nobody lost amongst the names of a thousand other faithless failures. He'd done everything within his power to prove his worth, his devotion. He had taken every lesson from the Lord Sephiroth's preaching to heart and respected every word of the Knights and the Brothers. He prayed every night and mealtime, and recited the longest and most difficult of chants by heart. His Goddess: The Mother and Vessel of the Earth, Jenova, was a deity of greatness. She chose only the most worthy to survive a Reunion. Only the most worthy were blessed enough to receive Her gifts. To date, only four had survived a Reunion: Sephiroth, Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz.

Today, Cloud would undergo his own trial, his Reunion. Should he succeed, should he survive the harsh judgement of his Goddess, then he'd be named a Brother – he'd be reunited with his Goddess; She who owned the world and everything in it.

Well, almost everything. Everything except the Blades.

* * *

Pre-dawn's pale light found the young Cloud Strife walking the worn paths of Nibelheim, looking around with nostalgia and determination, mentally tying a string to each landmark to remind himself of what he had to come back home to. He stopped at every fork in the path and at every familiar house or fallen tree. He remembered every time he had walked down these dusty, barely paved paths. Every time he had sat on the fences, or played on the small areas of green.

He came to the most bittersweet memory. A barely used guesthouse, the best approximation to an Inn his private village had.

_"Hey Cloud, guess what! I'm going to the Wall Market with my neighbours, Sephiroth said it was okay, wanna come too?"_

Cloud rested a soft hand against the inn's front gate. His hands were smooth, having worked behind protective leather or been clasped in prayer all his life. The wood and flaking paint scratched and roughly contrasted with his milky skin.

_"It'll be fun, we'll see horses and magicians, travellers from all over the lands – maybe we'll even see a Blade for real!"_

Cloud's fingers clenched tightly around the mossy wood; splinters pricked his skin, leaving a soft green stain on his palm as a parting gift. This guesthouse – the inn – held the biggest reminder to survive his Reunion trial. For his childhood friend. Regret moulded his shoulders like wet hands sculpting clay.

_If only I had gone with you, Tifa; maybe you'd still be here._

The last time he had seen her, he had waved goodbye from this very spot. She and her neighbours were travelling on a rare trip to the Wall Market over the mountains at Midgar. It was a slum, a hovel of a market most days of the week, but once every few months, when the Caravans arrived from lands far flung with places and names unpronounceable in Cloud's native tongue, it transformed into a lively world port. The Caravans drew in traders by the thousand, each barterer arriving to find their fortune. Cloud had heard the tales of those lucky enough to travel from his village, and from the rare guest who passed through the Holy Valley. But, all those years ago, Nibelheim's modest Caravan of three carts and twelve people had come back with only eleven.

Cloud looked down the road, remembering. Somehow he always found his way here during his morning errands. It was as if he were still waiting for her to come home. She would wave, grin and tell him of the wonders she had imagined outside of their blessed valley and punch his shoulder for not accompanying her in the first place. Typical Tifa. But she wasn't coming home. She wasn't lost, and she wasn't late. She was stolen.

Cloud clenched his hands into fists, ignoring the splinters that dug steadily deeper into his whitening palm.

She had been taken by the Blades.

Just thinking of the name made Cloud clutch at the holy pendant around his neck. Jenova's comet hung by a simple chain; he never took it off, and it was always there beside his heart emitting a cold aura, reminding him of the constant judgement She rained down upon his soul and the high bar he had to keep to in order to be worthy of Her world, of his own life. The icy metal – never hot despite his warm hands or chest – made him only despise the Blades more. They had kidnapped his childhood friend; they'd stolen her on her very first journey outside of Nibelheim and left him friendless. But since the reign of Jenova had begun on Earth the Blades had waged war against Her might, taking everything She allowed this world to have. Just like they had taken Tifa.

What kind of person challenged a divine god? Not a man or a woman. But devils and demons, yes indeed.

Cloud recalled the words of Lord Sephiroth: _The Blades are defilers who spit upon the face of our mighty Mother and spread their malevolent ways all over the lands that the Goddess bestowed upon us. After Men were created and put into their place on this world they returned to her, not with Gratitude for the home she created for her sentient children, but with thankless, unholy blades. The Blades are the descendants of those who turned against their Mother! A Blade is a demon! A Blade is soulless, remorseless!_

Cloud believed it. They had taken Tifa.

She had been mourned only a short time by the village, but Cloud had never stopped missing her. He was never more remorseful for not standing by her side. Maybe, if he had been braver, he could have kept her with him. She could have lived a good and holy life. He knew Jenova was punishing him through her. By making his life lonely and sad – a punishment through which he had realised a need to love and appreciate what Jenova had left him to enjoy – he was, forever onwards, always thankful to Her for what She had spared him.

That was why he was touching, tasting, remembering everything that tied him to this world, everything important to him and everything Jenova had crafted. Cloud was determined to return Her lessons by being the most dedicated follower She had ever held under Her banner. Today, he would see if his devotion was deep enough.

Cloud walked away from his most painful memory and lesson and carried on through the rest of the village. He breathed its scents and heard its early dawning sounds, reminding himself that he had to survive his Reunion because he had this to come back to: his beloved home.

He had lost his Mother to sickness, he had lost Tifa to the Blades but he had not lost his faith, thanks to Lord Sephiroth's teachings and the guidance of the Brothers. He had to survive! He had to. If he died too then there would be no one left to remember his most beloved people.

Cloud stopped by the temple, the spine of the village. The Temple held a large metal statue of their Angelic Judge – Creator and Goddess – set above the door, the rest of the building made of marble and metal. The tall, foreboding doors were closed still. Likely the Lord and the Brothers were preparing for the trials of today. The Temple was wide and it resembled a daunting wave about to crest above a shadowy wood where one would only survive by mercy and luck. Not even the white of the marble could keep the ominous feeling away from it.

It housed The Lord, the head of the religion, Jenova's mouthpiece: Sephiroth, and it also housed the Brothers, the only people who had survived the Reunion of Jenova's trials.

Because they'd survived Reunion they had been granted gifts: Longevity, Strength, Speed, Intelligence and Knowledge, a direct link to Her will and presence and silver hair with green eyes like a cat's. Clearly more than human - they had been touched by the Goddess, and as such they were seen as worthy. They were trusted; leading others to be re-joined with their Mother.

Those gifts could be Cloud's own reward, but he paid no mind to those rewards. Staying alive to honour and treasure the memories of his lost ones was all the blessing he desired. He wanted to carry their memories within him forever so they'd never be forgotten. He hoped his humble aim would be worthy enough. He had stayed clear of sin, devoting himself to a Divine who had hinted at the punishment She could rain down on him should he stray: Tifa, his Mother… his very existence.

Feeling a little lonely, emerging from memories and what-ifs, he stepped off the path and made his way to the Knight's quarters. The Knights quarters were built opposite, and in the image of the Temple with a lesser degree of grandeur. While the Temple was ominous and grand, the Knights Quarters were square and orderly barracks. Cloud glanced towards it and wondered if his friend Zack was awake.

Zack was chosen to be a Knight; Sephiroth had seen promise and he had been spared a chance at Reunion for a moral lifetime of guarding Her temple from the Blades. There were other temples, but this was the main one, and the one most heavily guarded by Her chosen Knights.

There was a window, just an ordinary window, wooden and darkly tinted to keep the interior private, but this one was familiar. Cloud had tapped upon the dark glass many times.

Zack was housed in this room. He had taken Cloud to it after his induction and put a hand against it. _If you ever need me, knock and I'll be there._ Cloud stopped before it, wondering if he was home, or away on duties or patrols. He wondered if he dare test his luck worrying that misfortune could be a bad omen but after a moment to think he hesitantly tapped on his best friend's window. Zack was worth the risk.

Zack opened it almost immediately.

"Cloud!" his lively appearance of wild dark hair and bright blue eyes made a smile appear on Cloud's face in conditioned response. The elder caught his head and pulled him into an awkward out-the-window hug, thoroughly messing up Cloud's already spiky hair. "How's my favourite Chocobo?"

Cloud struggled, only half meaning it and grinned like a fool. Of all the things in the village, he was glad Jenova had allowed Zack to live. He shone brighter than any sun or star when he smiled, and he made everyone feel safe within his capable arms.

"Zack, get off!" Zack let him go with a sunny smile.

"It's your big day, Spike. How are you feeling?" He leaned his elbows on the window sill, reaching out with one hand to poke at Cloud every now and then, making Cloud giggle and step back to avoid the elder teen's ticking fingertips. The fifteen year old shrugged and rubbed the back of his head apprehensively.

"Nervous," Cloud admitted. "But, also ready."

Zack nodded, he was seventeen and due to graduate to become a Knight on his eighteenth birthday – he had been training three years for his position. He rubbed at his nose "I guess that's understandable. I know you'll make it. I mean, I've never known someone more determined than you." He teased.

Cloud smiled slightly shuffling his feet as he remembered all the times he had refused Zack's company so that he might invoke their Goddess in private prayer.

"I've got some people I need to live for." He confessed.

Zack reached out and squeezed his shoulder, Cloud imagined Zack's strong hand was lifting his burdens and pains, if just for a moment. Zack was special that way. "They're lucky to have you. I'll remember too," he promised solemnly.

Cloud covered his hand with his own squeezing it tightly and smiled hesitantly.

"I'll remember you if you don't make it, and if you do," Zack promised again. He flicked Cloud's permanent bedhead and smirked. "Someone's got to remember this Spiky golden head of yours."

Cloud ducked under his grip, just missing out on another headlock and danced back a few paces "Is that all you care about? You always go for my hair!"

Zack pouted with playful eyes "Aw, Spike, it's how I'll always remember you – spiky, smiley and full of memories. So, you wanna have a drink or something before they call for you?" He asked, nodding towards the well in the middle of the village – wine wasn't something that was allowed, though it was brewed here. The best they could have was water and maybe a shot or two for curing pain under an operation – but that was hardly desired.

Cloud was about to agree, when he heard the large doors of the temple open. He looked and saw Kadaj securing them to their hooks. It felt like a sign. He sent Zack an apologetic look "Um, can I take you up on that offer later? I'm going to pray for a while, just in case … well, just in case."

No need to say the possible aloud.

Zack looked sad at the implication "I would take your place if I could, Cloud." He looked exactly how Cloud felt when he realised Tifa was going to the market without him; a little abandoned and hopeful, but mostly sad. He hadn't realised, but maybe he was Zack's 'Tifa'; the friend he might never see again …

Cloud smiled uncertainly, hoping that history would not repeat itself "I know. See you later," he turned to prepare for his judgement.

"Wait!"

Zack vaulted himself out of his window to stand by Cloud's side, his face that of a man facing his own trail instead of watching Cloud's. He pulled Cloud into his arms to squeeze him tightly, Cloud blinked and stayed in the hug when he felt Zack shaking. Zack pressed his head into Cloud's shoulder and breathed unsteadily "Come back, okay?"

Cloud dug his fingers into Zack's shirt and pressed back, quietly moved that his friend had been moved to tears for his uncertain fate. "I'll try," he promised. He waited for Zack to release him but the hug went on and on. "You'll have to let me go sometime," he half laughed.

Zack sighed and held Cloud at arm's length, wet eyed and sad all over again "I wish it was me, Cloud, I really wish you didn't have to go," he lowered his head with eyes tightly closed.

Cloud held his hands, searching for words of comfort that were not empty and doubtful. "Be here when I come back?"

Zack eyes flew open "That isn't even a question! Of course I'll be here." He squeezed Cloud's ribcage again and Cloud's toes left the ground with his strength "You're the only reason I stay here, Chocobo head, I don't think I could bear it if you were gone."

Cloud shook his head as his feet returned to the floor "You're doing great work already, Zack. Don't give it up because of me," he warned turning with a wave to climb the temple steps.

Zack watched forlornly and sighed. Cloud kept walking, pretending he hadn't heard Zack's final words.

"I'd do it in a heartbeat if I got to keep my best friend … Mother, Goddess, whatever She demands as her name … She better keep you safe or She'll lose me too."

Cloud climbed the steps, stone faced and determined despite the hollow pit Zack's words had dug in his stomach.

That was reason number three: for his Mother, for Tifa, and for Zack.

* * *

"Another empty puppet."

His voice had never sounded so cold.

Cloud shivered, drawing breath through a raw throat and shuddering as the glowing water dripped from his body onto the floor, creating a puddle which reflected his disgrace.

Lord Sephiroth and the Brothers stood over him, dressed in their usual leather black garbs and eerily reflecting nothing in the room of the Holy Spring. Cloud feebly worked his throat and tongue, trying to speak. _You're wrong, please help me._

Kadaj glanced at his fellows.

"Brothers?"

Sephiroth looked down at Cloud and Cloud looked back up willing for strength to return to his limbs. He twitched, croaking half a name before fading back into the dull world of pain.

_No, this wasn't meant to happen!_

His muscles continued to spasm weakly, rejecting the Holy Water now pooling in his blood, and blocking his mind from his body. His left arm stung in particular, the skin prickling and tightening uncomfortably like he was a water skin filled to bursting point. His veins felt like they were boiling and he couldn't draw enough air; he couldn't move. His eyes could barely open without his throat working to scream silently, each breath hurting his entire chest and mouth like drinking liquid ice. The ground pressed unforgivingly into his soft, impossibly heavy body and the wet clothes sucked all the warmth from him and made him shiver despite how badly he burned inside.

The Brothers had always described a beautiful union with the Goddess; one of light and power, not this.

A deep, dismissive grunt came from above. "Put him with the others."

Strong arms lifted him like a sack of potatoes, Cloud's lips parting to protest. The mountainous task revealed only a cough for his efforts. _No, no please! I'll stand up! I can … I can …_

He watched the floor change to steps and then to Earth with both panic and despair rattling his bones. He was tossed unceremoniously into a wooden cart full of fellow villagers each one a Failure, suffering in agony as their Goddess tore apart their bodies and souls in exchange for their unworthiness.

This was the price of rejection, of failure. A slow death.

Cloud grunted as he was tossed and caught a glimpse of blond hair and realised it was Seifer who had thrown him. The head Knight at such a young age. He'd climbed so high since the older ones were constantly attacked by Blades on their crusades. Lives were constantly taken and ranks were achieved faster than they should. He was brilliant, confident and arrogant – yet trustworthy enough to be responsible for the Temple. But he was harsh and obedient to a T. He did not let emotions stop his orders, Cloud was nothing to him now.

Seifer was already turning back to witness the next attempt at Reunion. Cloud was one of the last. He wouldn't have to wait long before he was cast out. Cloud reached out to him, his arm weighing more than a lumber's axe and he tried to call out, to stop him, to tell him to look again and give him a chance!

Seifer heard nothing and Cloud's strength gave out seconds later.

He rested his head on his arm and listened as the pained grunts and gasps of his fellow villagers filled his ears. He felt a few groan under him as he lay like deadweight on chests and painfully angled limbs without the relief of movement to alleviate the discomfort.

The metal doors slammed shut and left the groaning, suffering rejects in the cart alone in the eve-time village. No witnesses were allowed. Everyone would realise tomorrow that the men of the village had been faithless once again.

Cloud closed his eyes tightly and felt tears escape his eyes.

This wasn't meant to happen!

It had seemed so perfect at first. He had recited every chant and prayer he could think of, aloud and in his head. Sephiroth himself had praised him when he had overheard his reverent mutterings. Cloud took that as a sign and had prayed harder, chanted audibly. He had kept it up during his wait for the Reunion, as he'd watched the other boys his age and those slightly older men who had been converted late enter for their judgement. He had kept it up all the way to his own judgement and then the actual submersion into the Holy Spring.

Then in an instant his perfect state was ruined.

As soon as he was under the pain had shocked through him as if he was bathing in lightning. Words failed to describe the pure agony which could only be a Goddess's fury. He screamed and screamed, Holy Water entering his mouth and lungs as the Brothers and the Lord resolutely held him under. His eyes burned and stung, his lungs ached, his skin prickled and tightened and he struggled for air.

_Let me go. Let me breathe, please!_

No Mercy. He was only bodily removed once the rites had been read but the air only burned him more. He had no energy to sob. He wailed just the once as he raggedly inhaled and expelled the water poisoning his lungs, and then upon his pitiful appearance the Brothers realised he had been rejected.

_Empty Puppet._

He shivered in his wet clothes and felt the cart thud as another body was tossed into the sturdy wagon.

Their Goddess was Mighty and blessed only the most worthy.

Cloud's tears rolled down his cheeks. He was worthless. He had failed his Goddess, his mother, Tifa and Zack! He deserved this for letting them down; every painful moment. _Jenova forgive the failures of your children, give Zack the inspiration to go on. Give me his punishment as well as my own, give him my strength, let him live!_

Eons later, or no time at all, the dying moans and coughs around him were joined by the motion of Chocobo's pulling the cart. Their bodies were going to be left to Jenova's will, it was a final test, and their last chance.

Sometimes – so rare it happened once a century – a man would have an epiphany or find hidden strength within himself and return on their own. If they could return to their Goddess, their home, they'd be granted an audience with Her directly.

It was the stuff of legends.

She would then decide your fate. Life, Death, Knight, Brother, or Banishment. She would judge you directly, it was a terrible and wondrous destiny to be under Her Mighty gaze; Her final word would seal your fate.

The last three had, according to Yazoo and Seifer, been Knights of legend; Soldiers of immeasurable strength who had defeated hundreds of Blades singlehandedly.

Cloud could only pray he'd be so lucky.

* * *

The Knights driving the Chocobos grumbled. They had been riding along for hours outside the valley and out into the open plains before the mountains. They were impatient to leave the Failures to the elements and to the Goddess's mercy before it drew too late. It was already dark, the sun had been swallowed by the mountains and the open roads of the plains were before them.

Cloud's first look at the world outside of Nibelheim and it was his dying view. He would have much rather spent his time waiting for the spirit of Tifa to come lead his soul away on her old doorstep.

Yes, indeed his Goddess punished unworthiness. He was not to be granted a moment's peace or forgiveness. _I'm sorry, forgive me, I'm sorry._

Cloud kept his eyes open as he was dumped on the side of a road. The imprints in the dirt revealed to him that it was a well-worn path, by foot, mount and carriage. Maybe a kindly traveller would assist them, or bury them?

Dust ran up his nose as he breathed and he parted his dry lips and wheezed a feeble cough. Why was the world spinning so? It started to resemble the reflections of water; light and colours and motion.

The Knights, two of whom Cloud wasn't sure the names of were not gentle in leaving their fellow men to their fate, were relishing in their luck. They would never have to face this torture and trial, taunting the Failures for being in this position when they could have had it all – if they could have just been true to Jenova.

Recovering from his own ditching, his left arm aching all the way to the bone, Cloud barely heard the words of the Knights. But once his ringing ears cleared, and his eyes had focus, their words made Cloud freeze in terror, even as his blood continued to sting and burn.

"… Blades are meant to be travelling this way, right?"

"Sure. They were seen at the Wall Market at the base of Midgar Mountain."

"Well they never stay long. Maybe they'll find one of these Failures tasty?"

"It's what they deserve, innit?" The Chocobos yelped at the crack of a whip, and the cart swiftly began to leave.

Cloud pulled himself half off the ground, total terror overriding every nerve in his body for a brief, brief, reflexive moment.

"No … wait …" He held out one hand before his eyes rolled back into his head, his body failing him once again as he reacquainted himself with the roadside.

_Don't leave us like this! Not to the Blades. Please, to wolves, bears, strangers or friends but not to them. Not to them, you can't!_

Any natural death would be better than a Blade's execution. The Blades who were demons in human skins, the one people Jenova had no power over – because they were unnatural to the world, they had rejected their creator, their Mother. Any death by their hands was a promise of inhuman pain. Even martyrs had screamed denial of their Goddess under the Blade's tortures.

Cloud struggled again, trying to drag his dead legs under him and force his hands to stop shaking. He tried to force the world to stop pretending it was made of malleable clay and light on water, oh – he hit the ground again, sobbing dryly as his fear and frustration overwhelmed him.

_Not like this. Please, please, not like this. Forgive me my weakness, Goddess. Forgive my unworthiness and lack of faith. I swear should I survive this I'll devote my entire being to your service! Anything you ask of me, let me escape the Blades!_

His silent prayers that begged for mercy and his silent struggle onwards which was mostly a twitch or shudder at a time went on long into the night. By the time the moon was high overhead he was on the verge of giving up. For all his effort he had barely moved a foot. In truth, best he had done was reposition himself in the same space.

The next break in an endless struggle was the sound of approaching hooves.

Cloud quickly lost hope that it was a passing Caravan of traders. These hooves were multiple and heavy chargers, not the sort that pulled the carts and goods. His eyes cracked open and he squinted through his lashes to see who was approaching. A saviour or executioner?

Far down the road he saw an orange glow of torches carried by the riders of the fast approaching horses. They appeared in a halo like a fiery dawn or forest blaze, yells, howls of joy and growls of challenge echoed off the light with a sprinkling of laughter and whinnies.

People riding horses.

Cloud instantly thought the worst, but feebly tried to convince himself that these were just boisterous travellers who would sooner leave him be than harm him. He had heard that alcohol could make a person rowdy or reckless – it didn't have to mean them.

His hopes were as weak as his strength, and for good reason.

The horse riders almost charged right past Cloud and his fellow men, but a loud urgent shout drew short the celebratory path of racing horses and loud chatter. The horses halted and the one who had called for the pause in route turned back to see what had grabbed their attention. The horse urged back the way it came. A few more brought around their horses to inspect the bodies left on the roadside once their interest had been peaked.

It was just a few riders at first; there was the sound of someone dismounting, a groan and shift of a body behind him and a guttural growl from the rider. The inspecting man spoke to his fellows still on their horses nearby. The discussion was swift and their voices grew heated.

Cloud's heart climbed into his throat and beat at the base of his tongue, strangling and gagging him.

A powerful and commanding voice carried from the group of waiting riders "Vros roqa aeui kuimd?"

The dismounted rider shouted back "Raiacsk, Arkhu. Kam omd crerdram uk sra korka sud."

Whatever the answer, it stirred interest. The group gasped and murmured in their harsh tongue, and their horses approached in unity. The entire party was approaching to see the unfortunates which had drawn the curiosity of their fellows.

The same commanding voice came again "Kirruimd srak. Cracd sraer budeak. Rema srak iv kur kesmk uk reka. Ras ka kaa sraer Haorsk."

Cloud frowned slightly. Was that a … woman? Was a woman commanding these men? Oh no, there were women riders too. Cloud had just enough space left in his panicking brain to realise how bizarre this was as he watched a female rider guide her horse past him.

The horses were pointed around the villagers in a circle boxing them in, but they needn't have bothered. Cloud could barely move and his fellows barely groaned anymore.

Each rider commanded their mounts with experience and skill and the horses themselves looked strong and durable, but they held a dangerous attitude about them. Cloud knew from his time working with Chocobos that this meant they were only part tame. The horses had crude saddles, meant for the ease of riding and mounting more than anything fancy – they barely looked comfortable for how confident the riders held themselves.

There were male riders, wearing pants made of rough leather hide, the waist of the pants tucked back down upon itself as a kind of loincloth or skirt despite the fact that everything was covered and some leather still had the fur of the animals they came from upon the surface. It gave them a rough and worn appearance. The women wore these odd breaches too, straddling their horse instead of riding side-saddle the way Cloud had seen ladies ride before. They had beads, braids, tattoos and kohl around their eyes in variations personal to each rider and regardless of sex. Their shirts, those who wore them (Cloud glanced away when he saw a woman topless, save for scantily clad bandages around her mostly flat cleavage) were either coloured as a base, or a dull colour with brightness painted on top and were messy, wild and unique.

Their weather worn skin a deep or even tan, and their feet either barefoot or wrapped in mouldable looking leather, each rider was riddled with taunt, firm muscles, even the women had admirable abdominal muscles. They spoke in harsh tongues and held their torches high and those without quickly held their hands aloft and summoned weapons in a glow of pale white light.

Blades. They were Blades: a horse-riding, barbarous and evil tribe of strange Godlessness who lived to see suffering and who were hard, harsh and heartless towards anything good in the world.

Cloud looked at them, their wildness, immodesty, their tribal and nomadic nature which was so different from the order of civilised men; if Cloud had not been so terrified by their presence he might have found them fascinating, just for being so alien.

A few of the dismounted riders stepped amongst the bodies of the villagers, turning them over and occasionally declaring something in a loud voice, some of the still seated riders answered back asking questions and receiving answers.

Cloud trembled, and not just from weakness and the cold. What were they looking for? Survivors? The most edible meat?

Hands rested on his shoulders, more cautious than he expected, and his eyes screwed shut to hide his terror – he refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him scared.

The hands of this particular Blade paid special attention to his left arm – the arm that stung and burned and felt like crumpled paper covered in wax – and Cloud felt the warmth of a flesh-blood hand hovering over it for a lingering minute. Unlike the others, this investigator was silent. He felt the same hand catch his chin and push back the hair from his face and he kept his eyes closed pressing his lips together. _Get away from me demon!_

"Don't … touch … me." His croak was hardly the angry curse he wished it to be, but the hand withdrew as if surprised. It returned to his shoulder and a low mutter brushed past his ear, the air warm from the closeness, the heat a sign of proximity making Cloud whimper in fear. _What is he doing? What does he want?_

The horsemen continued to growl, speak and mutter as their horses pawed at the ground and tossed their heads. One or two made perimeter rounds as if guarding a kill, calling and shouting, their horses snorting. But Cloud's curious individual didn't speak or make a move past the whisper in his ear. He remained close, his soft breaths tickled against Cloud's cheek and his warmer body crouched over his own as if guarding him. The individual didn't speak further and Cloud didn't dare respond.

The night changed pace with the bark of an order "Kruv srak su ka." The commanding voice, definitely female, came a final time.

All around him there were the pained groans of his fellow villagers and Cloud's eyes opened fearfully – what were they doing?

A cry of pain passed his own lips as the hands which had merely patted him down now moved him. He was arranged into a weak kneel, a hand holding his head up and he got his first look at the female-commander.

She was fiercely striking.

Sable coloured hair flowed behind her wildly; three beaded braids on both sides of her head decorated her mane like a crown. They were tied with gold ribbons, plain string and leather strips and bangs brushed behind her ears flicking out from her face, a face timeless and pale. Her visage was as smooth and flawless, without scar or blemish, wrinkle or dimple. She possessed purse, plump lips, and dark lashed eyes of silver. Her ears were pierced twice, in the lobes and the tips, and there was the hint of a tattoo over her shoulder. Beaded necklaces hung from a pale throat, her top half dressed in a shawl with the sleeves draped over one shoulder and crossing over her breasts. Her other shoulder was bound with a light pouldron of leather, and the shawl's fabric was patterned at the edges; triangles of yellow and cream against a heather coloured middle. Her breasts appeared bound in bandages too, though it was only by their lack of movement that this assumption could be made. She wore breaches with a split skirt at her front and back, the fabric as long as her knees and the pants low on her hips and held up by several wrapped layers and finally secured in a knot which was decorated with more ribbons and beads. At her bare, visible hip were three intense claw scars, once deep and raw, now ropy and pale against muscled and taunt skin. Her wrists were adorned in bracelets, almost like gauntlets, each a shade of worn, dull gold. No doubt, she was their Queen.

Her confidence, the way the other horsemen and woman respected her, guarded and obeyed her left no room for doubt. She spoke like a leader, her voice cutting above all else like thunder despite the even volume. She drew eyes, ears and moved like a force of nature.

Cloud had heard the stories, as had everyone else in his village. Tales of the barbarian horse riders who didn't know man from woman; brutal killers with a lust for death in their blood, who spoke in grunts and growls like the beasts. Tales of massacres, battles, internal fighting and brawls that could taint the rivers of the world red, and tales of the mighty monarch, a Queen who led their destructive hunger.

The Queen of the Blades …

The last traveller, years ago, had told stories of the current Queen – she with eyes of mercury and an unyielding force in her stare.

Cloud was kneeling before her now, as were his fellows each held up by a Blade, their faces turned up for her judgement. It was like something from a nightmare. She summoned her weapon before them. The blade of the staff ran along the bottom tip like a spear: one end to stab and the other end a club to beat her victim to a bloody end. For the time being it looked ceremonial and bloodless with all the talismans and ropy charms of beads and ribbons hanging from the hooked club-head-tip all the way down to the leather grip.

The proud and beautiful Queen reined her horse expertly, the wild chestnut stallion tossing its head and stamping its hooves but submitting nonetheless, her core muscles rippled to keep her control and her single hand on the reigns keeping a tight leash on her mount. Her silvery gaze cut through all in her path like lightning through a dark sky and she judged each of Cloud's fellow villagers before her with the eyes of a hawk, her gaze narrowing with every face she observed.

Cloud lowered his head before she could strike him. His captor pulled his head up but Cloud managed to twist his face away.

_Jenova, forgive me my sins and deliver to your people not your enemy. Spare us to the will of the world, not your aggressors._ He'd sooner die a natural death by wolves than the evil, unnatural Blades.

The Queen watched them for several minutes which felt like forever. She searched and stared, and Cloud kept his eyes closed, cowering and trembling and ashamed, yet unable to look into her unnatural eyes as she burned into his soul. _Jenova forgive me._

Eventually she turned her head to the side, dismissing them. "Vaod Haorsk. I roqa mu maad uk srak." Her voice was low, rich and resonated with a growl throughout. It wasn't like the gentle tongues of the Holy People, or kind like the odd, curious traveller. That voice was one of a demon, just as his Lord had described and Cloud shuddered.

She raised her staff to rally as her horse turned.

The riders surrounding them backed away and set the villagers down before mounting their impatient horses. Cloud was placed on his front and he braced his head on one arm while he had the chance, the hands of his personal captor lingered. The man stepped away after a brief hesitation.

All around them the riders steered their mounts, as disinterested as their Queen and abandoned them to their fates.

Save for one.

"Musrar, srara ek reka em srek uma."

Cloud lifted his weighty gaze when a voice called out over the heavy falls of hooves.

The Queen turned her horse around, her hair whipping in invisible winds and catching the clanking beads in her braids and looked down at a young male who met her gaze unwaveringly.

The man was a little older than Cloud by the look of him, his voice was already deep and it resonated with a demonic growl too. He was a sable brunet and was quite tall, wearing breeches of hide leather with an overturn at his hips which mimicked both loincloth and belt. He looked strong and wild under a thin shirt of cotton, the fabric smeared with dirt and all the filth he had come into contact with.

His horse stood to one side with loyal patience. It was young too, all long legs and perky ears.

The Queen raised an eyebrow at him and shifted her grip firmly on her staff as if threatening to beat him. She spoke down at him "Aeui vekr su daav srek uma, kae kum?" Her eyes once again cut to the men, but this time she looked at Cloud alone, and his breathe froze in his mouth.

 _Jenova save me- Why are they looking at me?_ Such inhuman eyes.

"Va roqa mu maad uk kroqak, uir mikbark ora ksrums." The Queen growled her crude, discordant tongue through her teeth like she was biting into flesh, her expression curious like a cat watching a panicking mouse.

The boy, for he was just a teen – easily the youngest Blade there and barely a man – stood his ground under her regal address. He bowed his head once in some kind of agreement, but he still spoke back "Ra ek mus vaod. Ra ek kecd. Ra ek kirr uk vuekumk kruk sra korka sud bis mus baaeumd koqems. Com uir Haorsk ras rar croek omusrar? I verr soda siordeomkrev kur rek kosa imdar uir bommar."

The Queen appeared unmoved by his speech. Only the restless movements of her horse caused any motion in her. Yet she grew thoughtful.

Cloud felt the tension like a storm approaching. She was a force of nature caught in indecision and the result would be devastating for wherever she chose to assault.

Finally, she clicked her tongue and her horse moved forwards, her eyes remained on the teen, curious until she pulled her mount to a stop before Cloud, the beast's hooves beating the ground so hard it shook his already trembling body.

Cloud peered up as best he could.

She looked down at him from her great height, almost certainly considering his slaughter. Her lips pursed as her head tilted to one side, her hair and beads rattled like a skeleton's bones.

Cloud lost strength and rested his forehead on his arm again. She hooked her curved staff tip under his chin and pulled his limp head up so she could look him in the eye. Her gaze was mercury, soulless.

Cloud stared back, helpless and terrified, a lamb caught under appraisal for his tender meat. After an eternity of eye contact she spoke. "Can you walk?"

Cloud gasped at the sound of his native tongue, slow and clumsy on her lips. Her accent skewing all the sounds, but it was unmistakeable. How did she know the words of her sworn enemy? Was she using dark magic or some unholy trick? Was this staff-

The impatient stamping of her horse's hooves broke him from his panic.

"No …" He weakly answered, stuttering and shivering under her stare.

The Queen's mount huffed and reared up slightly. She turned him as he balanced on his back legs and left the blond on the floor. Cloud fell where she left him and trembled in the aftermath of her scrutiny, feeling as if he had just had his soul appraised.

Her horse stopped a short distance away.

"I raoqa rek imdar aeuir crorsa, kruird ra kruv ik o Ssrums Haors ra koae aeas ba vursrae uk o Broda. Ek rakkar ra verr karr ruaeorrae. Kruird rek Haors ba vaod, aeui ora rakvumkebra kur rasirmems rek su sra vurkrevark uk sra korka sudk. Ra verr roqa mu kirsrar karcae." Her voice was still harsh and commanding but whatever she had said made the other riders mutter amongst themselves, unnerved.

The youth who had challenged her thumped a fist to the left side of his chest "Kae Haors ek aeuirk su cukkomd."

The Queen bestowed him with a single nod. Still looking partly curious but she raised her staff, her mount rearing up in synchrony and with a loud, wild cry her staff pointing the way, the Blades rode onwards.

Cloud watched them leave with quiet relief, but a small growing fear. They were abandoning him? Was he beyond a prayer to change his fate? Their dismissal implied his fate to die was sealed; they were ruthless killers of Jenova's loyal followers, they would have never left him if he had a chance at living. If he was dismissed, by even the despicable Blades, then he was truly not worthy of Jenova's gifts.

He would not survive, he would not return home.

Their indifference incurred his anger. Was he not even worthy of a quick death? Their recent travel would have scared away most wildlife, and wolves were not known for coming near paths. Jenova was truly punishing him for unworthiness. He was not even worthwhile of Her enemies.

He raised a hand pitifully to the retreating riders.

"Damn … you …" He whispered, his world returning to blurs and bright lights as adrenaline left him. _Jenova forgive me, deliver me from-_

Firm hands touched his shoulders. Cloud gasped, scared out of his chant and death-prayer by the human touch and he forced his eyes to focus. Those hands turned him over and he was held up awkwardly by a pair of muscled arms.

It was that boy, the challenger.

His face was strong, his eyes silvery blue and soulless, coloured metal like the Queen's. His hair was sable and tucked in unkempt, matted locks around his chin and behind his ears, his skin mostly even but clearly sun beaten and weathered. His hands were calloused and rough on his skin, yet their touch was careful.

Cloud's neck refused to support his head and one roughened hand kindly propped it up for him when it began to ache and loll.

Those confident and rare eyes held all Cloud's attention and Cloud wondered if he had asked for the privilege of killing him. At least Jenova and Lord Sephiroth would see him as a true believer; he'd become Her Martyr if that's what it took.

The boy rubbed the dirt off Cloud's face with a thumb of rough skin and Cloud cringed.

"Du aeui kvaod kae sumsia? … Tui valkr ah dui Flii Cedeir? … Tha Saara'a't? … Tho Loacs aucom ho liollorroc roarlaraos?"

Cloud heard the lilt of a question in each sentence, the pause between each one giving him time to speak, but he understood nothing. Not one of the languages – if the accent changes were anything to judge by – was familiar to him.

Helplessly, he closed his eyes. "I don't understand."

There was a noncommittal hum and those hard-worked hands pried their way under him manoeuvring him in ways Cloud wasn't aware he could be moved, all to get him into a position to be carried. Cloud lay limp, a little uncomfortable, but still powerless in his own body as this Blade – this tribal, horse-riding barbarian – carried him to a patiently waiting black horse.

Cloud was slung over the animal with a bit of difficulty and he gulped, remembering how his fellow villagers carried back slain deer, the carcasses reminiscent of how he was now.

The boy silently moved the saddle to accommodate him, and then he mounted behind Cloud with practiced grace. He urged the horse into an even walk after the others, one hand on Cloud's back to steady his weight.

Cloud glanced as best he could at the fellow men he was quickly leaving behind. Those who were still awake from the trials of Jenova watched him with weak, concerned faces and those who were asleep would likely stay that way until a predator or starvation came for them.

As was Jenova's will.

Cloud saw their fear for him and he twitched a hand in an attempt to reach back for them. _Help me, please someone help me! But it was no use, he was being taken._

He was being taken by these savages. Why him? What made him so special? Was Jenova punishing him, by sending him to her sworn enemies? The Blades who had ruthlessly destroyed her body and temples throughout history?

He gasped and tears fell from his eyes. _Forgive me, forgive my sins. Forgive my lack of proof in my faith! Please save me! Send me a sign, save me and I'll give you my life! Anything!_ He'd take any punishment, any torment his goddess would bestow on him; any punishment Lord Sephiroth saw fit. He would lose a hand, an arm, his sight, his tongue, anything but torture at the hands of the Blades!

He let out an unsteady, terrified sob when he recalled the stories of what they did to those they captured. Seifer had been very well informed: strapped to an altar, fingers and toes cut off and stuffed down your throat to silence your own screams, to prevent you from begging Jenova for her mercy on your soul. Wild-eyed savages slashing flesh with bone saws until you were raw – then they'd devour you alive; limbs inwards, gnaw on your living bones, and feed your scraps to their horse familiars.

_No please, please merciful goddess, not that fate! I beg of you!_

"Aeui'ra srakbrems." The boy – no, not a boy – a demon! The savage, soulless teen of the faithless tribe spoke up. The stabilising hand patted between his shoulders awkwardly.

 _Is he feeling me to see if I need fattening?!_ Cloud screwed his eyes shut. _No, oh please, oh please, no!_

"Ksuv es. Aeui'rr kvuud kae rurka."

Cloud winced at the tone of his voice. "Sorry …" He croaked, his face burning in shame and more tears fell from his eyes as he apologised to his people's sworn enemy.

There was a heavy sigh from the teen above him. The horse kept up a slow walk as the boy let go of the reigns to stabilise Cloud's weak body, his now free hand reaching down to Cloud's neck and long fingers curled around his throat.

Cloud tensed as much as he could, panic driving him past the weakness for a second to bat at the threatening hand. He was so weak a fly would have laughed at him, but the boy didn't have the fly's sense of humour. He grunted, sounding annoyed and he didn't stay his hand. He gripped at the base of Cloud's skull and held firmly, index and middle finger pressing hard on his wildly beating pulse.

Cloud's world got dizzier in seconds, and before he could even pray for salvation – or even scream – his world went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

When Cloud came to hours later he was far from the isolated roadside.

His eyes opened to the inky black sky full of stars, framed by towering treetops to his left and open sky on his right. He heard voices, growls, laughter and the crackle of an open fire. The trees reflected the glow of the flames and made shadows dance and silhouettes waver like the presence of ghosts.

As he gained awareness he tried to move but found he could only manage to raise his head a few inches. As he moved he felt his body ache and he whimpered a soft curse as it rendered him immobile. Cloud waited until the welling pain had passed before attempting to lift his head again and this time he managed to strain his neck enough to view his immediate surroundings.

A Blade camp was the sight that greeted him. The riders had their horses untacked and the durable animals were settling down to sleep. Some were tethered and others were roaming free to graze at new grass, but they had not strayed beyond the fire's light. Barely tamed but highly loyal, perhaps they really were familiars.

Cloud gulped and kept looking.

The riders were doing a variety of tasks. One or two were sorting gathered firewood, another few were repairing their saddles and clothes, and others were maintaining their appearances; a woman sat before a man who waited as her hair was weaved into a single braid with practiced dexterity. As Cloud watched, blankets emerged from saddlebags and saddles were positioned as pillows, it looked like they were retiring for the night. That gave Cloud a shred of hope; they needed to sleep like any moral creature, he may yet have a chance at escape. The entire group of fifteen strong were yawning and stretching as they spoke and mingled. They lay in the open without tents or cover and in great proximity to their fellows. Cloud observed Blades leaning against each other, limbs strewn across their kin and others sharing pillows and saddles and curling together like a pack of wolves. There didn't seem to be any barriers between the sexes either, women curled with each other and with the men and the males were the same and, most shockingly, the members were in varying stages of undress!

Cloud couldn't decide if the sight was vulgar, appalling or disgustingly animalistic – civilised people had individual tents or rooms with only a wife or husband sharing bedding behind closed doors. The openness and lack of modesty of these Blades was different, and wrong and abnormal.

Cloud lowered himself feeling washed of all strength, and his left arm hurt fiercely with sharp, sudden cramps. Cloud's hopes of escape lowered when the dizziness and ache of his body returned with his clarity of mind despite his restful pose and recent sleep. There was a wash of aggressive pins and needles that made his eyes want to roll back into his head. He wished he could move to examine the source of the pain but he couldn't bring himself to shift for fear of more pain.

Cloud wondered how long he had been sprawled here on the edge of the camp. He had been obviously propped up as there was no way he could have fallen onto a saddle in this position, and his limbs were as unresponsive as ever so this had been done by a second party. It was not an uncomfortable position, but it was exposed and cold and far from the fire and the riders surrounding it. For the moment he was unsure if that was blessing or curse.

As he looked at the sky he turned his thoughts to why he still lived. It was nothing less than a miracle he had the opportunity to think these thoughts as Blades were killers, demon men and devil women of despicable sins and deeds. So why wasn't he dead? Did they intend something worse than death, something that required perpetration? Or were they gleefully extending his torture with an equally torturous wait?

Seifer's tales of torture and agony tickled at his fearful state of mind and he silently begged for salvation. _Goddess have mercy. What do they want to do to me? I beg of you spare me that fate!_

Cloud's heart beat a fast tempo at the base of his throat and his breath caught with the unpleasant taste of panic. Cloud winced as the stress vexed his body with fresh pain and tried to distract himself. He reached out with his senses for something familiar in the hopes of calming his erratic thoughts.

The air around him was not as fresh as his Holy Valley, it contained the scents of the woods but not woods of pine or mountainous redwoods. Decomposing leaves, damp of moss, and the soft hint of wild flowers tickled his nose and he missed the crispness of frost and the exposed rocks of the mountains. Besides the natural smells was the obvious smell of burning wood and horses. The animal was vaguely comforting as Cloud thought back to the Nibelheim stables but the scent had no happy 'Warks' to accompany it and no feathers to tickle at his skin.

Cloud, in his moment of loneliness and hopelessness, thought even the stars in the sky looked different and alien compared to the views out of the valley. He recalled watching them with Tifa from their bedroom windows and from the areas of grass where they would speak of the world outside and imagine the wonders it held. Tifa could speak for hours with wide eyes of Midgar, the Free Cities and distant Kingdoms ruled by Monarchs draped in gold and silks, and Cloud recalled her glee with sadness.

 _I'm sorry Tifa, the world is nothing as we said. If only I could have a story to tell you when I finally die here._ His chest was tight with emotion as Tifa smiled inside his memories, so young and full of life – after his death no one would remember her. Not in the way he knew her; talk of outside the Valley wasn't encouraged and Cloud knew he was one of the few to have seen her face light up like a comet as she vocalised her dreams.

_Tifa …_

Movement approaching drew his attention.

It was the challenger. Absently, Cloud considered giving him a more suitable name. Not so absently, he wondered why this teen had brought him here. Why he had taken him but not killed him? He made little sense. Everything about him was wild, ungodly and inhuman and Sephiroth himself had spoken serious words about their cruel ways, and yet Cloud had been allowed to live.

The young teen walked over with a cloth package in his hands. His shirt was a little dirtier and his hair was more tangled, but his hands looked newly cleaned and he was dressed the same. Cloud was confident only a few hours had passed since he was last awake. He recalled the hand around his throat with much distress and the swiftly consuming darkness with even more. Mercy wasn't the Blade's way but the hand to his throat had neither hurt nor harmed him and that only assured Cloud there was something worse in store. The Blades had left their Mother before humanity could be learnt from Jenova, Mother of the World, so the nap had to be nothing more than a cruel wait. A cat and a mouse and the prolonged hunt.

The youngest travelling Blade scrutinised Cloud with his devilish mercury eyes as he took a seat beside him, crossing his legs with a contemplative face. Those eyes reflected the fire beyond him and mixed them with orange like those of a mountain wolf. He didn't move or speak nor did he look away. He just looked.

Cloud kept eye contact and shivered in the cold night under the metallic eyes. It was a mere shadow of the stare the Queen possessed but it still felt like his soul was on display. He hated the vulnerability and the reminder that his lifetime of devotion to Jenova was not enough to merit protection against Her foes. He felt more unworthy by the minute – no Reunion, no Return and not even a glimmer of protection against the Blade's evil magics. Was he so despicable and conceited that his Goddess chose to abandon him to a fate worse than death? The longer the night wore on the more Cloud feared that the truth.

The young Blade saw his shivers and his head tilted with curiosity quickly followed by understanding. He put his package down and turned to retrieve the blanket from off the saddle Cloud currently used as a pillow, Cloud could only assume it was his. Cloud tracked the young Blade's hands as they worked the blanket free of the ties and as he unrolled it with an easy flick of his wrists. Cloud flinched at the unfurling fabric but was still in disbelief when the Blade pulled it over his body.

"What are you doing?" he rasped, he had failed to notice the still raw throat of his until he tried to speak. He sounded like grinding millstones and a strangled cat. He winced when he remembered the Holy water that had torn through him and the screams that followed, it was little wonder it hurt so much now.

The Blade glanced up from his task when Cloud spoke but had no response other than to continue tucking the wool around Cloud's prone form. Whatever trickery the Queen had used to speak to him this Blade did not possess it, it seemed. Cloud took comfort from that thought, though he silently acknowledged the difficulty he would have getting answers without it. The Blade tucked the wool around Cloud's hips and under his back too, leaving his arms loose for the time being but only confusing Cloud further.

What did he intend? Was this act meant to lull him into a false sense of comfort?

The young Blade revealed no answers as he turned to the package he had brought, it was folded like a handkerchief over a precious item. Cloud instantly feared a ceremonial knife or an equally pain inducing weapon – he was still almost completely paralysed from his failed Reunion - his Goddess still sought to torment his dying moments. She had already cast him to her enemies, what more was in store for him as he lay helpless?

The Blade shot him a confused look when Cloud's breathing sped up. He flipped open the last of the fabric and revealed a few jerky sticks. It was food.

Cloud relaxed a little. That was a familiar item, he recalled eating beef jerky and dried meats on his birthdays for a rare treat. But what did this mean? Was it a last meal, or was he being shown his fate as a meal for the demonic people?

_Jenova come for me soon, don't let me die at their hands._

The young Blade shifted closer and held one up "Aos. Aeuir budae sruvk vaod, aeui'rr maad aeuir ksramssr su kesrs sra vuekum" he guided the hard strip to Cloud's mouth using his free hand to support Cloud's neck to prevent any unintentional choking.

Cloud resisted for a moment his eyes wildly searching for signs of deceit or malice, but his stomach loudly wailed for food as the dried meat hovered millimetres from his lips. It teased his nose with a faint smell of hunger's cure and his resolve to resist weakened.

Damn you. He reluctantly opened his mouth and took a bite fearing he'd sob in relief as the flavour ran over his tongue. The jerky was tougher than expected and tasted a lot like beef, he instantly began to salivate as he had not eaten since a brief lunch hours earlier. He bit into it, suddenly ravenous and uncaring that the hand that fed him was a Blade.

"Suud." The Blade had an expression of approval as Cloud sank his teeth in.

But both he and the Blade had severely underestimated his remaining strength and the meat proved too tough for him to rip off or even chew. After several attempts and an aching jaw he was still as hungry as ever, if slightly more tormented with blessed hunger relief so close and yet unattainable.

Above him, the young Blade watched with a growing frown. "Crav." his harsh word sounded like an order. Cloud ignored him and tried to bite again but was no more successful and his stomach wailed in misery.

The Blade sighed and took the food back, Cloud gasped in protest and his stomach clenched wretchedly. The Blade set Cloud back against the saddle pillow and tore a section of the jerky off with his teeth, irritatingly easily. The young Blade chewed quickly, looking business-like and detached as he met Cloud's accusing gaze.

Just like a Blade to eat in front of a starving man. He winced as hunger pangs clawed his insides.

 _Jenova damn you. Why do you torment me like this? What do you want? Why didn't you just leave me?_ He could have already been in Jenova's Promise Land if he had been left, damn him for his malice, and damn him for denying him his everything!

The Blade kept eye contact but was unmoved by Cloud's heated glares. After a short time he knelt by Cloud's side with a determined expression. He leaned over him, closer than he had ever come before and Cloud's eyes widened in fear. Strong and rough hands cupped Cloud's head inescapably and Cloud braced for pain with his eyes tight shut. "Get away-"

Unexpectedly, a mouth covered his own.

Cloud shrieked against the intimate contact, his eyes flew open to see the mercury eyed teen pressing his face to Cloud's. Cloud instantly fought against the forced connection and he raised his right arm to attempt to push the Blade away. It was a pitiful effort, he was so much weaker than this demon child and his arm had no force behind it.

The contact was driven and not at all gentle or caring like Cloud imagined his first kiss would be.

The Blade's lips parted and a wet muscle licked at his own mouth in an attempt to pry it open. Cloud resisted, he refused to submit to him and feebly beat his fist against the Blade's arm. _Let me go. Get away. Help me Goddess!_

The pathetic hits were too easy to ignore and did nothing to push the other male away. The Blade's thumbs on either side of his face pressed hard into the muscles clamping his jaw shut. It started a sharp ache and Cloud instinctively opened his mouth to relieve the pressure.

The Blade’s tongue was suddenly in his mouth and Cloud’s face burned with the humiliation _No, this can't be happening! Stop it!_

Then he tasted beef. The kiss turned into a mouthful of chewed food. Cloud's stomach groaned and before he could stop himself he had accepted the mouthful and swallowed. The moment he swallowed Cloud became numb.

What had he done?

The Blade pulled away and looked down at his prisoner for a moment to confirm his method had worked. Once he had he sat up and tore another bite of jerky from the strips.

Meanwhile Cloud was at war with himself. The mouthful of food was good and his body craved it; yet he was filled with self-loathing for giving in. His mouth, his own mouth, felt strange and violated and he could still feel the Blade's tongue inside his lips. Cloud screwed his eyes shut tightly and held back his outraged sobs.

_You monster! Why do you humiliate me like this? Goddess save me, a demon stole my first kiss, that's disgusting. And I couldn't stop him, forgive me Jenova. It's my fault, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry._

The Blade cupped his jaw again and loomed unavoidably closer. Cloud twisted his head as best he could "No. Not again!" But it was not enough and the forceful mouth was once again on his. Cloud's protests was muffled again and just as before his body betrayed him. The system repeated itself thrice more before Cloud gave up.

Free for another few seconds Cloud's angry-humiliated tears streaked down his cheeks. He was ashamed and angry and scared, and he couldn't understand why it was his fate to be demeaned this way. For another man to force a kiss upon him was bad enough, but this man was the enemy of his Goddess; the entire episode should have disgusted him! Yet his starved stomach continued to grumble in satisfaction.

His looming captor came close again and Cloud closed his eyes in bitter cowardice as he hid from a reality he could not fight. He wished he could block out the Blade's actions as easily as he could shut out his sight, but it was not possible.

"No more," he begged through a sob. The hands on his face returned … but their hold was different.

Cloud didn't intent to open his eyes to grasp why, then a knuckle gently rubbed at his tear tracks. Uncertain and surprised at the tender touch he let his eyes open. The Blade looked sad and the stroke of the knuckle continued.

Cloud was quiet as he read the emotions in the Blade's eyes. Sadness, yes, but also regret and determination with a glimmer of understanding. Cloud was startled to realise that empathy shone in the mock-human eyes. How was that possible?

There was an unmistakable flash of understanding between them in that instant, a connection as powerful as a strike of lightning and just as brief.

The Blade held Cloud's head carefully and leaned in after a moment more of eye contact that revealed more empathy. Cloud hesitated but the emotion in the Blade's eyes reduced his protests to internal thoughts only. They both closed their eyes for the intimate part – maybe this boy was blocking out the encounter too. The touch of lips this time was soft and felt more like a kiss. Cloud still blushed and his lips trembled with heavy emotion and his mouth tasted of salt from tears, but this third encounter was considerably kinder and Cloud didn't fight the process.

The Blade pulled away without lingering much to Cloud's relief. The Blade remained close enough for his breath to tickle Cloud's skin but far enough to observe him. He sighed heavily and the thumbs on Cloud's face brushed at his teary lashes "I'k kurrae," he murmured.

Cloud looked away from those mercury eyes to stew in confusion. "I don't understand you," he croaked, he felt bad for crying but he felt undeniably better for the release of emotion.

The Blade pulled back and held up the beef strips for Cloud to see and tilted his head. "Ora aeui kserr rimsrae?"

Cloud looked longingly at the food and his stomach growled a loud demand. The Blade chuckled slightly and Cloud frowned. The Blade held a hand over Cloud's middle and muttered something faint with a small smile. Cloud followed his eyes, wary of his amusement and certain he was being teased in that devilish tongue.

The Blade saw Cloud's suspicious gaze and removed his hand. He pressed a hand to his chest "Leon. Woi'holemb Styoss."

Cloud frowned in the silence that followed, he understood that this teen wanted a reply but Cloud had no inkling of what to say. The accent had changed halfway through but it was still nothing common to him "Why can't you speak normally? Your leader can." The Blade frowned as Cloud spoke but did not repeat himself in an easier tongue.

Cloud sighed and looked away as best he could. Why couldn't this barbarian make it easier for everyone and just talk like a civilised man? Their leader had the capacity to mimic humanity, they must chose not to be good like the demons they were.

The Blade caught his chin and pulled his focus back. He touched his chest right over his heart "Leon," he pronounced slowly before his hand rested on Cloud's chest with a curious tilt of the head.

Cloud glanced at the hand close to his pounding heart "What?"

The Blade sat up with a frustrated sigh and raised a hand to point about the camp "Arkhu Raine, Quistis, Cid, Leon," he ended pointing at himself. He pointed at Cloud and tilted his head with an odd mixture of patience and frustration.

Cloud looked at the Blade's he'd pointed out "Quis … Cid- are you telling me you have _names?_ " he demanded with a jolt of realisation.

The young Blade shrugged without answer and called himself that word again and waited for Cloud's reply.

Cloud ignored the gestures to blink in shock, they had _names?_

But Sephiroth said they were stupid and demonic, that they didn't know man from woman and only cared for sin and killing. There was never any mention of names, not even from the Knights who fought them face to face, they told many tales of how they screamed and used devil magic as a beast used claws but they never said there was individuality or knowledge of self – that implied intelligence and personality and culture, all of which they were notoriously known for not possessing. That implied that Sephiroth was incorrect. Cloud almost shuddered with the blasphemy; Sephiroth was Jenova's mouthpiece, he could not say what was incorrect in Jenova's world. But tonight had already been an anxiety inducing mystery as he had not been killed but fed and warmed, why not add another paradox to the world? Why not known the name of his future killer, this way he might know who to damn …

Cloud met the Blade's silvery eyes with acute wariness "Leon?" he tested, the word felt strange on his tongue but not unpleasant for either ear or mouth.

The Blade smiled. The corners of his lips turned up minimally and yet his entire face softened, Cloud feared he's spoken a word of magic for a moment. The Blade nodded "Aeak," he pointed at Cloud's chest once again with optimism.

Cloud paused to think. This Blade, Leon, was asking for his name. Should he give it? Was it going to hurt him or be used in a spell? He worried for several long moments before meeting the Blade's eyes and shaking his head "No. I won't tell you."

The Blade, Leon, sat back with a perplexed expression "Vrae?"

Cloud glared slightly and felt Jenova's Comet pendant chill the skin by his heart and it gave him the will to continue. "You can do what you want with me, I won't give anything to you," he swore aloud, trembling inside.

The Blade breathed deeply and exhaled with heavy frustration and a frown. He was still like a storm about to strike, caught in the same indecision the Queen was before Cloud's fate changed forever and upon recognising the similarity Cloud was afraid. The Blade's eyes were on Cloud but they weren't seeing him. He was lost in thought for a small span of time then he lifted the meat again and asked a new question through their mutual silence.

Cloud reluctantly nodded as he recognised he needed strength for any chance of escaping, and steeled himself when their mouths met once more. It was wrong, and degrading and humiliating but it was the only way to eat, and Goddess he was starving.

_I'm so confused Jenova. Sephiroth has to be right, please show me this is a trick? Please guide me._

Sephiroth couldn't be wrong and yet these Blades were not acting as they should. They played with his mind and stressed his heart. Cloud locked himself inside his mind for protection and he swore he would not be lured into their traps. There was only one good and holy way, the way of Jenova, and then there was that of the damned, there was no halfway. There couldn't be. He remained in his private world, allowing reality to pass faster and unnoticed and was only brought back with the gentle shake of a shoulder.

The Blade now offered a water-skin. Cloud licked his lips unconsciously and unwillingly gave his consent. The Blade raised Cloud up and held the water-skin to his lips, he pulled the seal away often to stop Cloud choking but never failed to offer it again. Cloud drank eagerly until his thirst was satisfied, once again marvelling and distressing over the attentive care that this Blade offered him. It was unthinkable that he could even comprehend kindness and yet he had been given food, water and some semblance of bed. It was not what he had been told, but maybe the Blades existed to make the world wrong …

The water-skin seal pressed against his lips a final time and Cloud shook his head. The Blade took the water-skin away and lowered Cloud's head to the saddle. He pulled the woollen blanket up higher and tucked Cloud's arms inside, but hesitated to touch Cloud's left arm. Casting a concerned glance at Cloud's face the Blade held the arm up for inspection in the firelight.

Cloud hissed "Ow!"

"Kurrae," the Blade growled absently in his language as he touched Cloud's upper arm. Fingers lightly touched the crusty skin and Cloud winced at the painful pangs that followed. He twisted his head to look and paled at the sight that greeted him. His arm was blackened and greyed as if he had been burnt, and yet it was dry and hard like dead skin. It spread down his arm almost to his elbow, and whatever it was it hurt all the way down to his bone marrow.

It hadn't been there earlier. "What is it?" he croaked horrified at the sight of his deformed arm "What's happened to me? Was this you?" He'd never heard of a torture like this, and the Blade seemed as worried as Cloud was. Cloud's gut hollowed in fear, something that worried a Blade? Goddess help him.

The Blade replaced Cloud's arm and squeezed his shoulder until Cloud was breathing slow. He growled with a grave expression "Geostigma."

Cloud's brow creased "Geostigma?"

The Blade took the cloth that once held Cloud's meal and tied it tightly above the grey infection "Aeuir korka sud'k vuekum," he replied.

Cloud winced "Not so tight. That hurts!"

The Blade gripped his shoulder again "I dum's dmuv ek srek verr rarv, bis baor es imser sra Kosak kaa su aeui."

Harsh words and unknown meanings, Cloud was certain this 'Leon' was purposefully speaking to be misunderstood. He glared "Speak my language you devil! What purpose does your stupid language serve for me?"

The Blade pulled away in annoyed confusion at Cloud's anger. He reached up to rub at his nose with a sigh.

"Leon."

They both looked up at the call of the young Blade's name. The Queen stood at a respectable distance watching with the eyes of a hawk and an impassive expression. Beauty and pride, unyielding assertiveness, and confidence radiating from her like heat from a smoulder.

Cloud paled and shrunk under her gaze but the Young Blade stood up. "Musrar," he greeted with a voice of relief and a gesture of familiarity.

The Queen moved her head to tell him to follow, her beads and braids swished in her long hair as she indicated her wish for them to return to the fireside. "Cuka su bad kum, va roqa kor su sroqar." her hand extended more gracefully than a wild rose opening its petals and she awaited the young Blade's obedience.

The young Blade moved a step closer and spoke imploringly with a hand to his heart "Musrar, com aeui sord su rek? I dum's dmuv rek vurdk."

The Queen raised an elegant eyebrow and took several steps closer with her attention directed to Cloud. Cloud swallowed fearfully as she scrutinised him once again. Even dismounted she was terrifying. Her body still held graceful tension like a wolf on the prowl and when the wind pulled at her hair and clothes she was unmoved. Her clothing didn't hide the athletic limbs or the strength at the core of her body, and back in Cloud's home village her well-fitted breeches might have been considered indecent despite the knee length split skirt at her front and rear. Her yellow shawl at her shoulders was the only soft thing visible on her. As she searched him her mercury eyes slowly turned with disdain, she turned her head away with the regal dismissiveness of a cat.

"Mu."

The Young Blade inhaled sharply and his voice rose "Vros? Vrae mus?"

The Queen turned to him and rested a hand to his cheek, her expression hard and tongue harsh but her eyes had lost their steely edge.

Cloud blinked when he realised how alike the young challenger and the Queen looked. Their colouring was identical from eyes to their hair with only a few degrees of tanning difference in their skin. Their faces held many similarities and each held the same core muscle tension that balanced and bestowed grace like a prowling feline. The youngster had to tilt his chin very slightly to meet her eyes but he was likely still growing as he looked barely of adult age. Cloud blinked and came to the startling conclusion that the Queen was this Blade's Mother! Despite her timeless looks providing a challenge in guessing her an age she was clearly old enough to have raised a child.

She spoke to her young challenger with firmness and finality with her hand affectionately on his cheek as she explained her dismissal. She cast Cloud a sharp look, one of curiosity and slight disgust. She turned her back to Cloud and moved towards the camp indicating the discussion was over.

She had finished her talk on such a final note that Cloud was surprised when the young Blade reached out to prevent her from walking away.

"Os raoks rarv ka koae I dum's emsamd su rirs rek. Ra voscrak ka reda o robbes bakura o vurk," the Blade's voice held stubbornness that refused to end the discussion when the Queen had so plainly declared it finished. That had to prove that they were related, he couldn't imagine anyone else but a relative objecting to the great and terrible Queen.

The Queen crossed her arms with a shake of her head "Ra vuird, ra rok baam soisrs su kaor orr dekkaramcak omd rosa srak." Despite the demonic growls of their words Cloud was positive that the subject of their talk was about him when both sets of silver eyes were upon him. He felt fear well up in his stomach and made him feel sick as he waited for their next move.

The Queen looked scornful when her eyes rested upon Cloud and yet the youngsters were seeking. He took the Queen's hand and squeezed it "Musrar, vraoka."

At his words the Queen sighed deeply. She closed her eyes and only opened them after a minute of thought. She ran a hand through the boy's hair and shook her head with a hint of a smirk. She stepped forwards to stand tall over Cloud's prone form. Cloud looked up with fear. The Queen held a curious but impassive expression when she next spoke.

"You, I am Raine and I lead the Blades. I speak for my son, he does not intend you harm."

Cloud's eyes widened again as her lips formed the words of his people. Again, the words were garbled and heavily accented but they were known nonetheless. He struggled to find his voice "W-what?"

The Queen's expression never softened "My son does not intend you harm. Few speak your tongue as I do, he requests I speak for him," she crossed her arms as she repeated herself "This is Morosis." Her 'son' sent her an unimpressed look as she muttered her true feelings using a word he knew but Cloud didn't.

Cloud glanced between the two: A Queen and her son, Raine and Leon.

"What do you want from me?" he dared to ask with his heart climbing into his throat. He wasn't certain who he was asking nor who he should be asking; the young Blade who had spent the most time and attention on him or the Queen who clearly had power.

"Want?" The Queen barked a short humorous laugh. "You have nothing I want. I have no wants from the Rejects of the False God." She crouched by Cloud's side and took his chin in her hand to examine him closely "I saw only the dying and he saw a sickened, sheltered child whose life hung in the balance. We shall see who is correct. Often a scale cannot be tipped in our favour."

Cloud looked at her son and tried to read his expression as he watched his mother speak on his behalf. He was watching attentively but with the subtle frustration of one faced with a language block. When Cloud met his eyes he smiled just slightly which prompted Cloud to ask "Does he want anything from me?"

The Queen looked up at her son with her head tilted in curiosity, her hair fell over her shoulder and the tips tickled Cloud's arm. After a moment of silent scrutiny she answered him "I do not claim to know my son's mind." The Queen hummed thoughtfully when her son gave nothing away and faced Cloud again "Perhaps he does want. Or perhaps he wants to _give_. Regardless, he is responsible for you, from your health to your teachings. Anything you need he will be responsible for as your keeper."

Cloud felt a lick of anger "I'm no man's possession!"

The Queen's mouth pulled into an amused smile at his anger "Truth," she agreed to Cloud's surprise. She stood tall with a toss of her head to throw her hair behind her shoulders, she looked down with a stern expression. "But your life is in my son's dept. I would have gladly left you and he did not, remember that."

She put a hand on her son's shoulder. "Cuka." and turned away with the grace of a tiger and the power of a tide, confident that she would be followed. He did, he nodded at Cloud with an untranslated parting word and left him in his crudely made bed.

The mother and son joined those by the fire, many of which were now in slumber in pairs and groups and tangles of limbs like a pack of wild dogs, and found space to join them. The Queen sat by a saddle that was presumably hers and held her hands towards the fire for warmth. Her son sat beside her and rested a hand on a raised knee. The Queen sent him a half smile and ran long, fine fingers through his tangle of hair. Her lips moved but Cloud could not hear her words.

Her son had his eyes closed in pleasure at his Mother's affections and he waited until she had finished to break his silence. He spoke back with equal softness and let the Queen drape the blanket over their legs to share. His face fell troubled and she put a hand on his knee and offered him a smile with an inaudible reply. Her son smiled too and rested his head on her shoulder as her arm wound around his back. Cloud watched as their conversation drifted away with yawns and heavy lids and they soon were curled by the fire among their fellows in a deep slumber. It was so surreal …

Cloud rested his head back against the saddle he had been given for himself and breathed deeply in thought. The Queen's words had not enlightened him much. She was so intimidating that most of his questions ran out of his head when she looked at him, but she had told him some things nonetheless. The young Blade's name was definitely Leon, and hers was Raine, but she hadn't been interested in his name. That sounded like a royal, one who was known and only knew those in her court. Most shocking was the information that Leon could not speak his tongue and that he intended him no harm, it was unexpected to say the least.

_He claims not to have plans to hurt me, he claims to have a name and he claims to have family. He closed his eyes in anxious confusion, they had to be lies! Trickery and lies, a spectacle to draw me in, that's all. Goddess hear me, I will not ignore your lessons. Give me strength._

Cloud drifted into an exhausted second sleep to the sound of an open fire and roaming horses, begging Jenova for strength and guidance for tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Cloud was wrenched from sleep suddenly by pained sensation in his left arm. His eyes opened but not one of his senses was working other than pain. He gasped and yelled in agony as his body twitched and spasmed out of control. Lightning struck through his arm and behind his eyes, he burned and withered and his screams continued. He breathed hard and gripped at his upper arm with tears streaming down his face.

_Stop! Please enough. Someone, Goddess make it stop!_

Disorientated and scared he cried out again when hands pinned him down. Peering up he saw several concerned faces but none familiar save for two. The Blade’s camp slowly trickled back into Cloud’s senses and he knew where he was. The sky was bluing at the edges and the stars weakly shone down, but in the immediate vicinity were the camp’s inhabitants. His screams of pain must have awoken them and now they were holding down his thrashing limbs with faces of worry.

Cloud’s eyes rolled back into his head for a moment and when he opened his eyes again he recognised the two familiar faces. The Queen held his left shoulder and wrist against the earth with a frown of concentration, over Cloud’s cries she barked orders at her fellow Blades and bystanders jumped to attention. The other familiar face was right above his: Leon’s. The youngest Blade had him pinned by his shoulders and was speaking at him as if trying to distract him.

Cloud whimpered slightly “Leon?” he saw the Blade’s eyes crease in worry but then the agony held him tighter than the many hands on his limbs and he cried out once again. When the unbearable agony washed over him Cloud felt Leon’s bangs tickle his cheek and his voice chanted something into his ear at a steady rhythm. Cloud clung to the words regardless of their meaning, it was better than facing the torment of his flesh.

The process repeated itself three times before Cloud had ran out of energy to produce his screams. Leon’s voice kept up between and during the increases in agony and the very painful waits for the next wave.

Once his body had calmed to an anguished tremble the Queen ordered him to be moved to the open fire. The restraining hands carefully slid under his drained body and lifted him. Cloud moaned in protest, his reactions may have calmed but not because the pain had lessened, but because he was exhausted and could not involuntarily shout and move anymore. Leon’s voice continued to speak lowly into his ear and Cloud clung to each utterance to escape his pain.

_Goddess help me, someone help me. Make it stop …_

The Blades carried him closer to the fire and for a moment, Cloud feared they would throw him in it. His fears were for nought as he was set down by the dying embers and the blanket was tucked around him by many deft hands, another man bundled his blanket as a pillow and slipped it under Cloud’s raised head.

Cloud watched with wide eyes.

The Queen held his arm to the light and examined it with her usual impassiveness. Cloud blinked his eyes clear of tears and tried to breathe naturally as he trembled with an invisible chill. From his angle he could see that the grey stain on his skin had grown worse.

The Queen’s face gained a frown and her hands carefully removed the tourniquet Leon had placed there in the earlier hours of night, she kept his trembling limb from touching anything and wrinkled her nose in disgust as she looked at the source of Cloud’s pain.

“Es'k sussam vurka.” Her voice was clipped but her hands were gentle. She looked to her people “Brems o kvora vosarkdem, duak omaeuma roqa o bomdosa?”

“Aeak,” a Blade answered and produced a water-skin from his saddle.

The Queen lowered Cloud’s arm to the earth and propped it up on a wooden log, she took great care to not touch it or let anything else touch it. She eyed it like it was a serpent about to bite her and every touch was full of caution.

Leon knelt opposite his Mother and grimaced at the blackening infection, he looked to her “Vros com va du?”

The Queen sighed and accepted the water-skin before answering “Kur muv va kiks bemd es, daav sra emkacseum cumsoemad omd birm omae bomdosak ikad. Sra Kosak kiks kaa rek ekkadeosarae.”

She turned her head to those standing, sitting and watching about them “Cid, Quistis vravora Leon’k rurka kur sroqar, ra raoqak ok kuum ok va bomdosa sra emkacseum.”

“Aeak Arhku,” two Blades answered and beat their right fists to their left breast in salute. They turned and left the circle of Blades with purpose and Cloud lost sight of them.

Confused and worried he croaked “What’s happening to me?”

The Queen glanced up from wetting the cloth previously used for binding and silently debated if she should answer or not, Cloud saw the consideration dance in her eyes like the glittering light shining off falling glass. She answered at last “You are dying.”

Cloud’s eyes widened in fear “What?”

The Queen sighed, looking and sounding a bit emotional this time – she looked concerned and regretful “This infection in your arm is killing you. It pains you, yes?”

Cloud winced “Yes.”

She nodded her head slowly as if his answer should have satisfied all his questions, her mane of hair brushed over her shoulders. Cloud glanced at his arm, still crusty and grey but now oozing something black and thick and the sight of it made Cloud feel nauseous. He had never seen or heard of an infection like this before. But the Blades seemed to know.

“What is it?”

The Queen squeezed out the cloth “It is caused by … a poison not of nature,” She frowned and cast a half-hearted glare into the fire when Cloud remained confused and frightened “It is difficult to explain in this language,” she said at last with slight annoyance “I do not know the words. Another can tell you fully, later.” She refocused with an order “Rurd rek.”

Leon and several other Blades held Cloud’s limbs and Cloud glanced about with growing fear “What are you doing?” A Blade above him held up a strip of leather and before he had finished his question she had jammed it into his mouth between his teeth.

Leon held his arm at shoulder and elbow and nodded at the Queen when his grip was strong. The Queen murmured an apology and lowered her hand. The cloth scraped across the oozing wound and the second it made contact Cloud threw back his head and howled. In his suffering he found the strength to fight the hands restraining him but the Blades were strong and kept him still. The Queen’s face grew disgusted as she saw the mess the ooze was making of the cloth, it was sticky like bile and thick like curdled milk. She washed the cloth over the fire and rubbed at the infection again. After several repeats she threw the cloth into the fire and a Blade snapped his fingers and the fire blazed hotter.

Cloud barely noticed as he relapsed in weakness now the ordeal was over. He was sweaty and almost mad with fear and pain, chanting in his head was the only thing that kept him sane.

The female Blade above him rubbed at his tears but didn’t remove the leather he’d been biting into, when Cloud tried to spit it out she held it in his jaw with a whisper in her harsh tongue likely telling him to stop his actions.

Idly Cloud realised that the leather was meant to be bitten on to protect his teeth, he had heard of physicians practicing this method when people were to endure great pain. He had gritted his teeth lots in his recent pain, she had likely saved his teeth from cracking. He whimpered and bit again when something else touched the black infection, he looked to see what else was hurting him and saw Leon carefully bandaging it while the Queen held his trembling limb aloft. When it had been bandaged and tied they placed his arm across his chest and tied it into a sling. Cloud breathed several hitched but deep sighs of relief and went back to his weak trembling.

Leon removed the leather from his mouth and rubbed Cloud’s bound shoulder with a relieved expression “Varr duma, aeui vara broqa.”

Cloud glanced at the Queen for translation. She was washing her hands thoroughly with fresh water, but sent him a smirk nonetheless as she bridged the gap between them “He says you were brave.”

Cloud only felt confusion and wondered if he had heard her wrong. He wondered if this was nothing but a horrible twisted dream. Blades cleaning his nightmarish wound? Blades caring and offering praise? That was impossible. It was not right or conceivable. Was it?

Cloud looked back to Leon who had been waiting patiently for the exchange to happen and uncertainly nodded his head. “Um, thank you.”

Leon squeezed his shoulder.

All Blades looked up when the sound of approaching hooves caught their attention. Two Blades, a man and woman, led Leon’s fully tacked horse closer to the fire and the others made way. They held the young Blade’s stallion steady and close to where Cloud lay.

The Queen stood and spoke with firm orders and with a voice as unmissable as thunder. Her men and women about the camp saluted and moved to carry out their Queen’s wishes as soon as they heard them.

Leon himself nodded at her regal and formidable address, and left Cloud’s side to swing himself into the saddle, pausing only a moment to greeting the loyal steed by scratching his perky ears. He mounted with a lifetime of grace and held the reigns and the animal steady while the Blades assisted Cloud into a standing position. Cloud’s feet dragged with no strength and he was awkwardly manhandled into the saddle behind Leon. Rope was produced by the onlookers and his legs were tied to the saddle and his torso was tied to Leon’s. Once he was secure they backed off and the Queen stood by Leon’s side.

She took his hand and squeezed it tight as they exchanged parting words.

She addressed Cloud “Leon will take you to our home. There, our healers can help you.”

Cloud paled slightly. The home of the Blades? A place filled with nothing but barbarian devils? He shook just a little more in fear and his heart pounded. He frantically recalled Sephiroth’s preaching to try and find comfort, as he did he became confused. Blades didn’t have homes, they were cursed to wander forever due to their betrayal of the Mother and Vessel of the world. If they tried to settle the earth itself would fight them, so they rode ever onwards with their evil familiars forever denied the comforts of a loving home for their treachery.

Why did she tell him ‘home’ for his destination? Cloud silently realised that his only hope for survival lay with Sephiroth’s teachings, his home valley’s healing and Jenova’s mercy – he had to have faith that She would spare him. It was the only way.

_Send me where you wish, Queen of Blades, to your blasphemous home or to the wilderness, it matters not. My Goddess demands my faith through your trials and I won’t abandon Her. Goddess I won’t lose faith in you. Their magic hurts me and they claim to save me, I know only you have that power. Guide me._

The Queen reached up to Leon and pressed a hand to his cheek. “Va verr kurruv kuum, aeui commus voes. Reda koks, kae sra Giordeomk voscr uqar aeui.” She stood back and Leon indicated his head and pressed his fist to his heart.

“Koravarr, Musrar. Kaa aeui em Fernweh.” he cast a look over his shoulder to Cloud and pressed his heels into the stallion’s flanks. They took to a woodland trail and with the cheers and howls of farewell they left the main group and rode off.

The horse ran at a steady pace and they quickly left the light of the fire behind. Cloud kept his eyes half open through the pain to watch the waking world pass him by. Under the trees the land was as dark as night once again and there was never a speck of land uninterrupted by trees. Slowly the dawn filtered down and turned the underwood green and speckled as they travelled deeper into the forest. The woods were alive with the calls of birds and scurrying of small animals away from the footfalls of the approaching horse and riders. Cloud caught sight of the little creatures and a fox or two running among the thickets and undergrowth of the wood.

The movement of the horse was rhythmic and strong and every motion brought fresh pangs of pain to Cloud’s weak and suffering body. Even with his arm tightly bound it still caused him hurt, and the rest of him hurt with it in painful echoes. Cloud’s eyes pressed shut as a new rise in pain washed over him, he moaned in helpless agony and pressed his forehead against Leon’s shoulder in an instinctive attempt to hide. Goddess, give me strength …

His free arm trembled and flailed uselessly by his side as the horse galloped through the trees, it slapped at his side and against his numbing legs. He was silently glad he was tied in the saddle, he had no other method of clinging on and he did not fancy another forced sleep cast over the animal like a carcass. But his body was beginning to hurt as he limply stayed in a position not natural for ragdoll states. He breathed out unsteadily against Leon’s shirt and continued to pray for help.

He gasped softly when Leon reached back to catch his limp arm and held it against his chest with one hand. The action pulled Cloud securely against him and forwards to the relief of his spine. Leon’s hand squeezed over Cloud’s trembling fingers and Cloud sighed as he reluctantly drew comfort from his warmth.

 _I don’t understand you. Why do you comfort me as you lead me to my death? Why do you silently attack my faith’s lessons? Do you even know what you’re doing to me, or are you beyond that level of intelligent, malicious evil?_ That would be a better reality, a being so evil it didn’t even realise it was. It almost made Cloud sorry for him. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his attempts to make sense of the actions of the Blades were far from the truth. Their acts of healing, their skill with horses, familiars or not, and their teamwork were skills hard earned and taught.

His thoughts ran in circles and he had no answer other than to default to Sephiroth’s lessons and dismiss any other way.

“How far to your ‘home’?” he asked after a while to break his internal debate over the intent behind the Blade’s deeds.

Leon’s back shook with a chuckle “Kurrae. I dum’s imdarksomd aeui. Daav ksrums, va’rr ba srara bae keddoae.”

Cloud breathed out once with a humourless laugh “I forgot you don’t speak civilly …”

Goddess, watch over me. Goddess, clear my mind of lies, let your truth burn them away with your mighty comet.

He sent his prayers a final time and braced himself as best he could for the seemingly endless ride ahead.

* * *

When the walls of a city came into view Leon pointed them out with both relief and excitement.

They had travelled through a wood, over a woodland river, and then a river on an open plain before riding through some shallow hills. That was what Cloud remembered of the journey, but in his pain he had drifted between sleep and wakefulness many times, all he knew was that he was far from anywhere familiar or safe. Cloud opened his weary eyes to see the structure and knew that their destination was in sight. The walls were built of many unchiselled grey stone slabs that each loomed a storey high, it seemed impossible that the walls could be upright without support and yet they stood tall and intimidating in the sunlight. Two large torches burned above the open gate and here were hints of smoke rising beyond the reaches of the wall. On both sides of the wall were mountains, not as large or snowy as the ones of Cloud’s home village but mountains nonetheless and they only added to the might of the stone wall. It was a natural fortress reinforced by the works of mortals.

Cloud thought it looked intimidating and strange. His home hadn’t needed such defences, the mountains were formidable and their village was poor so no thief found fortune there and no bandits could overpower the Knights. This wall was meant for defence and repelling enemies, and the sight of it made Cloud think of battles.

At the foot of the wall were several grazing horses taking advantage of the flat, open grassland that stretched before the Blade’s defences. There were a few Blades and dogs standing among the horses being their shepherd and guard while the horses were groomed and checked. When they heard the approach of Leon’s horse they raised their hands in greeting and the horses paused to watch them ride by. Leon raised a hand back to them.

The well-worn path led directly between the gate’s large stone doors, so large and heavy that Cloud doubted they could close, and as Leon’s horse trotted steadily towards them Cloud began to feel trapped. Mountains on either-side and a formidable manmade structure standing before the mouth of the valley, it looked like the ideal prison and not a homely place. As soon as he passed these gates he’d never see the outside world again! He tensed and hissed as his arm pained him again.

_Damnit. Jenova why have you forsaken me? Tell me what I did wrong, why did you decide I was meant for this?_

Leon held his hand tighter and looked back to check on him, his forehead creased as he examined Cloud’s weakening state and urged his horse faster. Leon raised a hand to the guards standing by the giant doors and they raised a hand back as they galloped past into the heart of the Blade’s lands.

Cloud knew without a doubt that they had a place they called home now. Sephiroth had been … uninformed of this development. But it made it no less unnatural.

Yet upon entering past the intimidating outer wall there was a different theme, one of a village and daily life.

In the interior there were stables and horses in fenced pens, and houses of wood and stone with chickens and cats and dogs running wild in the dirt streets like the people. The houses were single rooms and had low, wide doorways and many had small smoke trails coming from the middle of their thatched roofs. As Cloud passed by, he glimpsed at their interior and spied a floor full of bedding and a fire pit.

There were many open areas in the Blades’ land and many people wandered in them, or sat doing tasks in rough circles of gossip and chatter. There were Blades tanning hides and cutting leather, others weaved nets and cloth by hand and more wandered with their arms full of grasses, logs and food supplies. There was the unmistakable sound of music in the air, and singing and voices calling for each other and to be heard. There were wells with groups gathered around them and horses being led by responsible hands.

They were all dressed in their strange breeches with a fold of hide at the hips acting like a loin cloth or skirt depending on the length and regardless of gender. Some wore shirts or tunics and others made do without, again regardless of gender. Cloud hurriedly averted his eyes from a few immodest females. Their hair held a variety of ornaments from beads to small bones, to feathers and ribbons, each secured in braids and ties, even the children had them. Some of the little ones even had kohl outlining their eyes and both boys and girls wore breeches of roughened hide secured with leather ties or rope.

As soon as the streets became too crowded Leon pulled on the reigns and guided his horse through with a slow walk. Blades all around them raised their hands in greeting and called out in welcome, young playing or helpful children paused to cheer or gawk.

Cloud felt more and more uncomfortable with every pair of eyes, so many Blades! It was something from a nightmare.

Leon returned their words with ones of his own and pulled his horse to a stop to rest a hand to his mouth to call out in a strong voice “I maad sra Kosak vravorad kur o kecd kom, omd com kukauma vru kvaodk sra romsiosa uk sra korka sud cuka kurvordk, I maad sraer vurdk.”

A few of those in the crowd who listened stood and ran through the streets with purpose. Cloud wondered what this Queen’s son had asked of them, was Leon a Prince? He spoke like one, and his tone of command echoed that of the current mercury eyed Queen. What would a devil Prince want with him? As the old questions resurfaced Leon urged his horse onwards and broke his train of thought. Cloud was almost glad of it, those questions only made him panic and vex himself.

Cloud averted his eyes as curious Blades continued to stare and speak among themselves with their eyes on him. He flinched and groaned as his arm ached again, he felt the bandage becoming wet and he feared more of the sickly black ooze and the process of removing it. The agony of the cleaning the Queen had done made him pale in dread. Goddess anything but that!

Deeper into the Blade’s lands they rode, and Cloud felt a hollow pit in his gut when he realised how large their ‘home’ was. It stretched all the way down the valley and split either-side of a mountain, on the left another intimidating grey walls stood and on the right the valley kept going and so did the evidence that the Blades had laid claim to it. There were structures everywhere and large open fires were people stood and cooked, and where there was clear space there were horses or farmlands, there was even a small wood contained inside the land they had claimed. The scale of their home dwarfed Nibelheim at least ten times over!

Leon rode around a small crop of saplings and approached the right mountainside. Within the mountain itself were carved stone steps that lead to a large archway and several windows. It was the largest structure that was on display from every corner of the valley. At the base of the wall at the top of the wide steps was a mural. It stretched above the doors and around the second story windows to the top of the manmade carving where the mountain regained control. The mural was multi-coloured and glittered in the light of the sun, from what Cloud could see it depicted several beings of strange colour and shape. In a way it was admirable and beautiful, but it was also alien and paradoxical.

One of the messengers from the crowd ran up the carved steps and disappeared into the building.

Leon’s horse stopped in the square at the base of the steps. Leon looked about for help and called to some of the following crowd for assistance as Cloud was still secured to Leon by ropes. A group of stranger-Blades approached. Two pulled daggers from their belts and Cloud gasped at the sight of them and willed his body to escape their sharp edges. Leon held his hand firmly and murmured to him through his fit of panic, his words didn’t help and Cloud watched the strangers hold their knives to his flesh. But their hands held him still and they cut Cloud’s legs loose with swift tugs of their daggers not once touching Cloud.

Cloud shook in anticipation knowing that every mercy now would be taken back later. The Blades pushed him from the saddle and a strong man accepted his weight and lowered him to a weak kneel. Cloud groaned, glad to be off the horse – his legs hurt from buttock to thigh and his spine was killing him.

Leon swiftly followed and handed the reigns to one of the helpers with words of thanks or orders, he knelt before Cloud and looked at the bandaged arm. Cloud looked too as his head lolled on a boneless neck. Just as he suspected; it had bled through with blackened ooze and looked nightmarishly evil. He shut his eyes tightly and willed this twisted reality away.

“Did you do this to me?” he hissed.

Leon couldn’t answer him, he knew this, but it felt better to actively demand answers and place blame while he was helpless; his words were all he had. Leon withdrew his hands and pulled Cloud’s arm over his shoulders to lift him. Cloud recalled being picked off the roadside like this and realised that Leon was very strong.

A small crowd had gathered to watch by this point, some followed Leon’s horse and others paused in their daily lives to observe. Cloud wished they’d turn their predatory eyes somewhere else, did he have to have an audience to his weakness and doom? Did they have to jeer and laugh at how a once holy boy had fallen? Wasn’t his shame enough?

“Leon!” As Leon moved towards the steps a voice called through the crowd and drew Leon’s attention “I raord kukauma maadad o sromkrosur, I ok kruk sros qerrosa, I qurimsaar su rarv.”

He faced the talker with a grateful nod as they stepped out of the crowd and held a hand to their heart. Leon looked pleased “Vraoka du, ra ek kcorad.”

“Oh kae Haors! … Cloud?”

Cloud raised his head at the sound of his name.

The talker approached faster and soon she stood before him with wide eyes “Cloud Strife? Is that really you?” her hands reached for his face and tilted his head to they could see each other.

Cloud squinted at the girl talking to him, for she was barely of age, just like himself. She stood tall with long brown hair like a river down her back and tucked behind her ears. She wore a sleeveless tunic and the odd breaches and skirt-loincloth attire all Blades seemed to wear and her skin was slightly dirty with signs of a working life. She had wide brown eyes and held a hand to her heart and she was quickly whitening like a ghost. Cloud’s own eyes widened as he realised the girl that stood before him was a ghost from his past.

“Tifa!”

Tifa covered her mouth briefly and took the final step forwards to pull her arms around him.

Cloud leaned into her touch and felt her fingers weave into his spiky blond hair just like they used to when they were young. He opened his eyes again to make sure she hadn’t vanished like a dream upon waking “Is it really you?”

Tifa’s eyes were watery but she smiled “It’s me … it’s- oh Cloud, I never thought I’d see you again!” she sobbed and pulled him closer to her.

Leon knelt slowly to place Cloud on the ground and let Cloud go to hug his friend in peace. Cloud’s unbound arm weakly gipped into the fabric at her waist, too weak to hold her or move properly and his head rested on her shoulder while his neck was weak. She was warm and she was breathing, sobbing into him as he was with her. “Tifa …”

Tifa helped him raise his head to look at her. She was alive and well, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes sparkled with tears and happiness. Time had changed her too, her face had lost its childish roundness and her limbs were long with athletic muscles unseen in the women of Nibelheim. Her eyes had long lashes and her lips were reddening. With a flush of embarrassment Cloud recognised that her body was changing too as his hand rested against a womanly curve. She was not a girl anymore.

Tifa smiled with her lips turned up in her familiar way and she leaned forwards to press kisses over his forehead in unbridled affection “I can’t believe it, vroeka Gaia, it’s really you!”

Cloud blushed at her forwardness but couldn’t stop looking at her. She was here, she was alive! “I thought you were dead.” His fingers tightened on her as if she would vanish if he let her go again. “They said-” his voice cut off as his arm reminded him of his condition. He cried out and began to helplessly fit again.

Tifa gasped and shrieked his name in alarm as he jerked and sobbed in agony. Cloud’s head spun and lightning struck behind his eyes, he cracked them open at the hesitant touch to his shoulder.

“Gaia … what have they done to you?” Tifa whispered in horror as she watched his arm bleed black blood.

Cloud hissed in another breath while he could think clearly and rasped “I don’t know …”

Tifa gripped pulled him to lean against her and held him tightly as he shuddered through the renewing pain. She whimpered “Leon, verr ra ba orresrs?”

Cloud frowned when he realised Tifa was growling and conversing in the harsh words of the Blades. It was wrong, Tifa was pure and good and full of life and wonder, so why was she using such an impure tongue?

Leon knelt beside them and put a hand on her shoulder, if Cloud had the breath to he would have shouted at him to get his filthy hands off her but as he heaved for the breath to live he could only glare in silent fury.

“Sra Kosak verr du sraer baks su raor rek, aeui dmuv rek?”

They both turned their eye to Cloud and Tifa smiled at him, watery and pale but a smile so loving it melted the anger out of Cloud's eyes. “Aeak, ra'k kae crerdruud kreamd, Cloud Strife.”

“Cloud Strife,” Leon repeated, Cloud shuddered at his name on the Blade’s lips. Leon bowed his head to Cloud as if they had just introduced themselves, Cloud felt a bite of anger that the Blades now knew his name and wondered why Tifa was being so careless around living, breathing evil.

Leon spoke to the girl with soft urgency that made Tifa’s arms tighten around Cloud’s body. She looked at Cloud with a fearful face. “You’ll be okay,” she promised suddenly as she allowed Leon to pull Cloud into his arms. Cloud rasped a soft protest as he was carried up stone steps towards the temple.

Tifa walked beside him and gripped at Cloud’s hand with pure desperation as Cloud began to fade back into a numb world of pain and darkness.

“Stay strong Cloud, I can’t lose you again.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Daav em kae Bumak Gaia ek oreqa.”

Cloud slowly returned to his senses guided by a soft and desperate voice chanting something strange and alien. Cloud felt and knew beyond any conscious thought that this voice was familiar and treasured.

Unable to properly waken he drifted to the sound of the familiar voice and its alien language.

“Daav em kae bruud, sra Leka Furca ek ksrums. Daav em kae Haors I bas Eden sros Cloud verr raor.”

Cloud heard his name in the voice’s strange words and quested to find out who was calling to him. He returned to his body slowly; as slow as clear honey forming a drop from a wooden spoon. He felt his arms and legs and back and the furs he lay on; the warmth they held to his skin. He felt his left arm laying perpendicular to his ribs and covered in a new bandage, his chest was bare as were his feet and the air was just shy of being cold.

“Las rek kaar sra Lekaksraok os rek cura kerrems rek vesr koesr omd ruva. Hek bruud, rek bumak, rek raors omd budae ora raorems muv, ora raorems muv.”

Soon he shuck off the last of sleep’s hold on him and opened his eyes.

The first thing he zoned in on was the person kneeling by his bedside haloed by the sun through a narrow window. She glowed at the edges and her long hair fell over her shoulders and down her back to her shoulder blades. Her hands were clasped tightly with interlinked fingers under her chin and a face of desperation and hope. He watched her lips move and heard the strange words leave her mouth; words harsh and callous compared to her saintly bow.

“Tra Lekaksraok ek vesr ik omd ek raorems rek muv.”

Her hands lowered and rested on his right arm and she looked at her lap with tears in her eyes. With a small hiccup she collapsed against Cloud’s chest and sobbed.

Cloud gasped in surprise as the air was forced from his lungs and an indignant groan left his lips. The girl jumped and looked up.

“Cloud! Oh I’m sorry,” she sat back up and hurriedly wiped at her face. With a nervous giggle she asked “How are you feeling?”

Cloud blinked a few times “Tifa?”

She twisted her hands together in her lap and smiled “Yes?”

Cloud tried to rub at his eyes but found he couldn’t move still. He settled instead for several deep breaths with closed lids. When he opened his eyes again Tifa was still there waiting patiently.

“I … I thought I was dreaming. You’re really here?” his heart felt lighter than it had in years. Tifa was here, Tifa was here!

His long lost friend smiled gently “Maybe you should sleep some more, you don’t sound very awake,” she teasingly poked his nose.

Cloud at once made a disagreeable noise “No thanks. All I seem to do lately is sleep,” he sighed feeling glum. Tifa’s brow creased in worry and she rubbed at his limp right hand. Her hands were warm but they were rough to feel and gentle to touch.

Cloud raised his voice again “Tifa?”

She hummed “What is it?”

Cloud wetted his lips “Where are we?”

The girl held his hand and rubbed her small yet rough fingers over his knuckles “We’re inside the Temple in Fernweh. The Mages have been up all night healing your arm, you … you really scared me.” Her hands tightened and her breathing hitched “I thought you were going to _die_ ,” Her voice broke on the final word and her sobs renewed.

Cloud felt a rush of distress over how close he had been to the void, he had almost died and he’d had no idea until now. What if he hadn’t woken up to realise this? He started to panic himself but the pure horror in Tifa's face as she fought off tears pulled his focus away from himself – he still couldn’t bear to see her cry. Weakly he squeezed her trembling hands.

“I’m here. I’m fine,” he promised as she breathed deep to control herself. Eventually she had her composure back and she wiped her eyes dry.

“I know …” she croaked, hiccupping once every couple of breaths but calming all the while.

Cloud smiled slightly “Don’t cry, okay?”

Tifa smiled at him, her eyes lighting up and she agreed.

“You’ve changed Cloud,” she put a hand on his bare shoulder with a voice of interest and surprise “You’re taller, and your shoulders have gotten bigger. Remember when your shirts used to fall off one side when we ran? I bet you don’t have that problem now,” she laughed to herself as her hand absently felt his broadening bones.

Cloud remembered. He had been a painfully thin little boy with slim shoulders, all of his shirts had been too wide for him and they often slipped to expose his upper chest on one side. Tifa and Zack were always pulling his collar back into position or tying knots into the sleeves to adjust them. He hadn’t noticed the problem slowly fading. It was years in the past now. He felt bad for forgetting such an innocent and fun memory.

But it wasn’t just Cloud who had changed with time.

“You too. You’re different.”

Tifa tilted her head and hummed for him to continue and Cloud bashfully stuttered.

“Your hair’s longer, your … um, shape has changed.”

She snorted with a roll of her eyes “I have a woman’s body, right?” she drawled quickly running her fingertips over her curves.

Cloud looked away at her boldness, his cheeks turning red, “Tifa!” he hissed, mortified.

She merely laughed louder with only a knuckle over her lips to muffle it; she grinned down at him once her amusement had been contained.

“I guess I should thank you for the compliment, Gaia knows nature’s been generous,” she giggled again as she glanced down at her curves without a hint of shame or modesty.

Cloud weakly smiled. “You’re different in other ways. You’re bolder, and you look very strong for a girl,” he added as he watched her biceps flex and bunch.

Tifa looked pleased “Got to be strong to keep up around here,” she flexed in playfulness but Cloud was surprised that she wasn’t disappointed with her athletic figure. Hard muscles, rough hands and hardened knuckles were hardly the qualities of the ideal woman and Mother. Why would she need to be, it wasn’t expected of her to work hard labour was it?

While he looked away to process the unexpected comment Cloud examined the room he had woken up in.

It was a dimly lit with light from three narrow windows and a sea of candles. There was scented smoke burning by his head and the scent was flowery if slightly intoxicating. Across his bandaged arm were several woven talismans and some fresh green herbs resting against him in bundles and as Cloud looked down at himself he saw that he had been undressed. He wore a white cloth tied by woven rope and anxiously he realised that even his undergarments and socks had been removed! On his naked chest were several marks painted in red, black and white; simple lines of colour across his torso, arms and stomach all the way down to the lowly tied garb around his waist and Cloud felt unnerved by them. What did they do, what were they for? Why was he covered in them? He looked away before he could start to panic; Tifa wasn’t worried so why should he be?

Oh Tifa! Cloud looked down at himself and blushed.

“Tifa? Where are my clothes?” he had never been so undressed in front of another before.

She shrugged undisturbed by Cloud’s near nakedness.

“Your shoes and garments are being washed, but they had to cut your shirt off and burn it. The wound bled black stuff into the cloth and it wasn’t safe to be kept,” she patted his shoulder at his raised eyebrows “I’m sure there’s another one that can replace it, it’s just a shirt.”

Cloud relaxed at that point, silently agreeing that a shirt was just a shirt and another could easily be obtained. Next he eyed the paint warily “What’s on my skin?”

“It’s just paint. The symbols invoke the Goddess for healing and balance, I’ve been praying to her all night and keeping watch over you with other Mages,” Cloud noticed the dark shadows under her eyes as she raised a hand to rub at her lids.

Cloud smiled slightly to himself, _I’ve never heard of a prayer for healing that Jenova’s listened to. Does this mean there’s hope for us?_ He reached up to his neck and gasped when he felt only his bare throat.

“Where’s my pendant?” he choked, feeling more vulnerable than ever without the Goddess’s ever present touch on his soul. Tifa frowned at his outburst her eyes turned hard and her lips drew tight.

“Hopefully in a smelter by now – ghastly thing – I don’t know how you can stand it so close to you.”

Cloud stared utterly shocked at her blasphemous words and aggressive tone “Tifa … what are you saying?”

The brown haired girl crossed her arms “I’m saying it’s a bad omen and I’m glad it’s away from you. Gaia knows that monster’s hurt you enough; no need to wear Her collar like She owns you now,” she smiled kindly and rested a gentle but roughened hand against his bicep as if she had just told him he had been saved.

Such blasphemy and scandal! ‘Ghastly thing’? The Goddess’s comet?

“How can you say that?”

Tifa looked confused “What?”

“Why are you saying such things? Jenova’s good and great; She’s the Mother and Vessel of the world who gave us-”

“Wait, are you saying you still believe?” she interrupted finally matching Cloud’s level of horror but for woefully different reasons.

“You don’t?” Cloud croaked with a hollow chill in his chest. What had happened to her? Why was she saying these things? Dear Goddess she couldn’t have turned her back to Her, could she?

“Oh kae Haors, Gaia give me strength!” Tifa put her head in her hands and breathed deeply several times as if to calm herself from a rage or a heavy shock, “I thought that you knew the truth, I thought Arkhu Raine or Leon would have told you.”

“Told me?” Cloud echoed, too stunned to say anything else. _This is a nightmare, Tifa can’t say these things, she can’t!_ This was worse than losing her the first time. She wasn’t just missing, she was a heretic!

The girl pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them “Gaia give me strength …” she breathed deeply a few times before clearing her throat “I’ll tell you, I don’t know why they didn’t, but I will. Jenova’s not a god,” her eyes moved to Cloud’s and she held them with the grimness of a vice “She’s a monster; She almost killed you.”

“No …”

Tifa kept talking as if he hadn’t spoken, “It’s unclear exactly what She is, but She’s no divine.” Her shoulders rose slightly like a defensive cat and she broke her eyes away from Cloud as they filled with bitter emotion “Whatever She is She’s unnatural and evil, She came from the sky and has been preying on us mortals ever since. We would have all perished if it weren’t for the Blades.”

Cloud turned his head away “Stop it!”

“Cloud-”

“No!” Had Tifa been lost? Had she turned her back to her Mother, why would she do that? Tifa was good and kind and there was no way she’d ever choose to be a heretic monster, “It’s not true, _they’re_ the monsters! They turned on their Mother and they took you away, Sephiroth’s never wrong, I’ve seen it.”

She turned his head back to her with a growl “And I’ve seen the opposite. The Blades-”

“They kidnapped me! They took you and they stole me too,” Cloud spat “What kind of good people steal innocents? They’ve ruined everything …” he trailed off with a lump in his throat. Tifa was wrong, her reasoning was wrong, the world was wrong, _stop it! Just stop it. Come back to the right side… wake up… please be a nightmare._

Tifa blinked in confusion, “Leon said that he found you on the roadside and that he was to watch over you and teach you …” she trailed off uncertainly making it more of a question than a statement, and Cloud awkwardly looked away.

“Well … yes, he did find me,” he admitted with a bitter taste in his mouth. Corroborating a demon’s story; what twisted reality was this? He recalled the roadside where he was to meet his fate with a sad desperation, his world had been turned into a nightmare after that. He closed his eyes and hissed, “But he should have left me there.”

Tifa’s horrified gasp wrenched his eyes open again. She held a white hand over her paling face, “You wanted to die?” she whispered.

Cloud felt guilt for scaring her, and a deep warmth for her concern for him. His Tifa was still there somehow. He tried to reassure her “No. I wanted to Return, I wanted to show Jenova that I was worthy.”

His friend was barely assuaged but her colour was returning. She shook her head, filled with melancholy and a sense of deep loss.

“No one Returns, Cloud, and no one finds Reunion either. They all die,” she lowered her head and clasped her hands.

Cloud knew the pain of loss, their father’s had all died in failed reunions, as had most of the men in their village. They were not allowed to be mourned but that didn’t mean they weren’t missed. He sighed and wanted to reminded her of the hope and the living proof that lay in store should they be pure and true to the Goddess.

“That’s not true. Sephiroth-”

“He never went through the trouble of a return! He was just born a monster.” Tifa venomously hissed.

Cloud couldn’t believe his own ears “Stop it! What are you saying?” he croaked, torn between screaming in anger and crying in shock.

Tifa held a look of forced patience as she answered him “The truth, Cloud; please listen. The Blades are not what Sephiroth has said, and neither is Jenova.”

 _The Blades … those damn demons!_ Cloud felt the world suddenly right itself as he realised that Tifa wasn’t bad and wrong: _They were_. He looked up at her haloed form sadly “What have they done to you? My Tifa would never have said that.”

She bristled “ _Your Tifa_ was sent on a one way trip to Midgar Market to be sold to a brothel on Sephiroth’s orders!”

Cloud visibly choked. He hacked several times and Tifa hurriedly patted his shoulders at the awful sound. When Cloud could breathe again, he whispered “What?”

Tifa continued with composure but her hands were tightly curled “Didn’t you ever think it was odd that I was allowed to go on that caravan? I mean, only Knights were allowed to go. Why would they suddenly bring along a little girl?” her voice began to shake and she was quiet.

Cloud saw her eyes, she was staring into space with the look a child when waking from a nightmare – safe and sound but utterly shaken. He wished he could move to comfort her, but he only had his words, “I don’t know …”

Her smile was bitter and twisted “Sephiroth sent me, remember?”

“Yes,” Cloud remembered her delight, and his disappointment that she was going without him. It was a happy memory, for now, but he feared Tifa would shed new light upon it.

“Sephiroth wanted me gone because I was filling the other children’s heads with ideas of places where Jenova couldn’t reach them. I spoke of deserts and forests and castles on top of mountains, and it caught the children's imaginations better than his damned preaching ever could,” She breathed deeply with her eyes closed and Cloud got the impression that this was a story seldom told as her words flowed with emotion like a river untamed. “So he told me to go with the Caravan and stay with the Knights. It was awful…”

Cloud swallowed drily and felt a deep, neglected part of him cry out for her pain. When they were young she had been so excited about the wonders she would see in just this brief trip, and now, so many years later, when she was finally telling the story she had so longed to live, she was virtually sobbing in fright. It should have been something she’d loved, not regretted and feared. Cloud almost told her to stop talking but he was frozen with mounting dread.

“The Knight that went with me said he’d show me around Midgar Market. We walked towards the centre but we didn’t stop at any of the stalls. He just dragged me to this whore house and said I was on sale for his business,” She pulled her arms around her knees and bit her thumb to keep her voice steady, the muffled volume sounded like the mumble of a child who had been told to hush. “I kicked and I yelled but he wouldn’t let go and the other villagers just watched! Just because Sephiroth said so they were going to let that awful man buy me like furniture!”

“That … that can’t be true, Sephiroth wouldn’t do that.”

Tifa glared and sat on her knees “He did. I’ll prove it,” she reached for the hem of the strange breeches she wore and pulled the fabric down on one hip. Cloud would have blushed but the moment he saw it he lost all colour.

“Jenova’s Comet!”

Tifa brushed a thumb over the old, marked skin. It was shiny and red and looked the slightest bit bumpy against her smooth hipbone: the brand of a brothel-girl. It vaguely resembled a rose, but the shape was distorted with age and looked hurriedly done.

Cloud couldn’t take his eyes of it. Tifa was branded. Tifa had been sold to the brothel life. Tifa was scarred!

She pulled the cloth back over her hip with a look of deep shame. Her hair fell over her eyes and even the halo from outside seemed shadowed.

“Can you believe it? I was only worth ten gold coins … they practically threw me away,” she rubbed at her eyes to fight off the tears as she recalled how the men who had sworn to protect her, who’d watched her grow up and earned her admiration were so quick to sell her to be done with her.

Cloud spoke up, his voice shaking, “T-they said that the Blades kidnapped you …”

Tifa snorted “No,” she rubbed at her eyes again and a smile gently eased the grief from her face like a ray of sun parting the heavens, “They _saved_ me. I would have stayed in the Midgar Brothel if it weren’t for Arkhu Raine.”

“The Queen?” Cloud recalled uncertainly.

Tifa glowed with shining eyes, the same eyes she had when she spoke of the worldly wonders when they were young.

“Yes. She just appeared out of no-where, marched right up to the Knight and the man who’d branded me and knocked them out with her bare fists,” she raised her hands in a re-enactment.

Cloud blinked “You weren’t scared of her, she’s a Blade?” how could she have trusted them so quickly, did they spell her or curse her?

She shrugged “I know,” she twisted a hand into the fur Cloud lay upon and answered with consideration, “I guess I was a little scared, but I was in pain and too scared of the men to be scared of her too. She was kind to me; she picked me up and shushed me, she was the first kind voice I’d heard for days and she carried me to her horse and took me home.” Tifa was glowing with the emotion from within her memories now, so different to how she’d paled and shouted when it came to her past under Jenova’s rule, “The Queen fed me, gave me new clothes, and dressed my wounds and never once scared me or hurt me. She promised to look after me and teach me, she was my Keeper. I’ve been here in Fernweh ever since.”

“But …” Cloud shook his head and closed his eyes. _This is wrong; what she’s saying is impossible. There has to be another reason: a spell: an act, or they’ve scared her into repeating their lies - she must be bewitched, Jenova save me._

Tifa’s gentle hand touched his forehead and brushed his limp bangs out of his eyes. She offered a peaceful smile though she still held herself with a visible awkwardness now that Cloud knew the secret burnt into her flesh. She spoke when Cloud failed to piece together a proper retaliation.

“They’re not bad people, Cloud, I swear it. I’ve lived here ever since Arkhu Raine rescued me and they’ve been nothing but wonderful. The things they can do and the things they can teach us; I can’t wait to share them with you,” the childish delight shone out of her eyes and Cloud was loathed to snuff it out.

“But they’re wrong; they’re demons,” he weakly protested. _They’re demons, they’re evil. I know what’s right. I know what’s true!_

“Arkhu Raine saved me, and Leon saved you. Why are you so hateful towards them?” Tifa demanded with yet more forced patience. “They’ve done nothing wrong. Leon found you and saved you, then he fed you and gave you a bed, and he even rushed you here to save your life. How can you be anything but grateful towards them?” she finished, her words tripping to be heard, her passionate defence of them as strong as her desire to see the world had been.

Cloud gave her a pitying look. _What have they done to you …_

“Is this a trick?” he breathed deeply and sighed heavily “Is there no way to get you back on my side?”

Tifa chuckled and slipped her hand into his “I’m always on _your_ side, Cloud,” she ruffled his hair and laughed fondly “Chocobo head,” despite his horrified disbelief Cloud smiled back and Tifa relaxed raising her hands in mock surrender “Let’s call a truce. You believe you’re right and I know I’m right, and we’re getting nowhere arguing like this so let’s just focus on something else, like getting you well again,” she removed her hand and nodded with a note of finality in her voice “One day you’ll see them like I do. Time will prove me right.”

Cloud shuddered at the thought. Time will prove the Blades right? Time swamped and drowning in their beliefs would be a personal trial worthy of Jenova’s wrath, and the Blades had chosen just the right temptress to lay siege to his iron clad faith. They were despicable, and without shame for using that dirty tactics and Cloud already felt his resolve to oppose Tifa’s pleas weakening just at the sight and sound of her. How long had he dreamt of seeing her again? Now he was being offered just that, but he would have to give himself to the Blades to succeed: it was twisted.

Cloud refused to argue further and end up seeing more of Tifa miming the Blade’s barbaric ways and dancing like a trained monkey as she declared her devotion to them. He closed his eyes and willed the world away. Tifa would assume he was asleep sooner or later and he would have the space to think. She would leave in time.

Time. Every second he spent here was another battering ram against his faith. He needed to escape! Tifa had been here years and though it broke Cloud’s heart he could see that saving her was beyond his power. She was chained to them. He could feel his own chain curling around his neck as surely as that young Blade’s fingers from that fateful night. He had to escape!

He refused to die here with the Blades. He refused to be their little toy or pet, and he refused to give up believing in what was right. _Jenova guide me home! I’m alive because you will it and I beg of you, please don’t abandon me here!_ He’d live for Jenova, he’d live for the pure Tifa who was gone from the world, and he’d live to fight against the demons who’d taken her. _They’ll regret wronging you, Tifa, I swear it to Jenova!_

* * *

Hours later the peaceful quiet was disturbed by approaching footsteps.

Cloud opened his heavy lids and gulped when the Blade Queen, her son, and a woman dressed in blue entered through the archway.

The new woman had long hair of Blackish-brown that shimmered like a glossy waterfall, her eyes were an exotic and hypnotic gold but her smile was gentle. She looked to the Queen who was as fierce and empowered as ever and she then looked to those seated.

Tifa stood up and pressed a fist to the left of her chest with her head bowed “Arkhu,” she whispered, a word that Cloud was slowly recognising as a name for the Queen.

Raine nodded at her, her beads and braids clicking against each other while in motion. She extended a hand and used the very tips of her fingers to tilt Tifa’s head up and with a smile that made her look oddly soft compared to the raw strength Cloud had so far witnessed she spoke. There was warmth in her touch but Cloud thought that the hand so close to Tifa’s neck was nothing but threatening. She peered left and right at Tifa’s face and finally an amused smile lit up her features.

Tifa bowed her head against the Queen’s hand, looking embarrassed and she brushed at her eyes with the back of her hand and a muttered reply that sounded bashful. The Queen pulled her chin back up firmly but used little force, and she asked a serious question with a stony face. The girl listened intently and nodded at last with a soft reply and a fist pressed against her chest.

“Kae Haors ek aeuirk su cukkomd.”

Cloud glanced between them with increasing frequency and only stopped when their eyes both turned to him.

Tifa cleared her throat “Arkhu Raine asks that I help them speak to you and for you to reply. I know both tongues and I will translate as exactly as I can, is that alright?” she tilted her head with a smile.

Cloud blinked without comment and slowly nodded as all eyes rested on him. He tensed when Leon moved like a shadow to sit by his side and the woman with the golden eyes knelt by his head with a soft swish of her robes. The robes were short sleeved and she also wore a pair of tight fitting breaches. The robe made a trailing skirt like a cape at her back and revealed the tops of her thighs at her front and as she knelt the fabric fell neatly into place behind her. She looked down at Cloud and met his gaze. After a moment of observation in which Cloud became increasingly paranoid for his future wellbeing, the woman tilted her head at him and spoke in the harsh tongue. Tifa translated after taking a moment to think.

“How do you feel, young stranger? Are you in pain?”

Cloud glanced around the room and felt the old fear return at the sight of the Blades and the deeper primal fear of being watched so intently too. The Queen stood with her arms crossed in a stance of dominance and strength, her commanding presence near terrifying. The way she looked down on Cloud made him shrink in on himself. Her eyes were so critical and sharp, like those of a huntress yet her son watched with a patient openness in his features that Cloud had come to expect of him. It was almost friendly except for the distance between their worlds. The woman who was nameless had moved a hand to fondle the spikes of his hair back into place, raking her long nailed fingers through the flaxen strands with the gentleness of a feather’s flight, but every graze of her nails against Cloud’s scalp made him tense and he glanced at Tifa.

She sighed at his lost expression.

“Well, answer her Chocobo head.”

Cloud glanced between them and finally found his voice “I can’t move.”

Tifa echoed his voice in a harsh tongue that the woman quickly nodded to.

“Yes. The poison has hurt your body deeply, you will be weak for many days. Geostigma is a hard affliction to be rid of, but Eden has smiled upon you and your arm has been healed,” the woman rested her hand against the bandage of Cloud’s arm and gently brushed the beads aside.

“Eden?” Cloud asked as the woman’s long fingers danced over criss-crossed charms and woven beads and they fell from his arm onto the floor with the same finality one would have when closing a book.

The woman just smiled at him and continued her work. _Patience_. That was the message Cloud got from her, though he was unsure how … probably another sort of strange magic.

“What is Geostigma?” he hoped to get an answer this time, after all Raine had promised one when there was someone who knew his words.

The woman looked up at their translator and smiled expectantly.

Tifa bowed her head respectfully and said “It is an unnatural poison that infects any living thing that has come into contact with a destructive and evil force that both eats up energy and poisons life-force, so that your very soul will not survive the experience,” she bowed her head with a quick mutter and then added “It is a nickname for Jenova’s touch.”

Cloud inhaled quickly and almost choked, “Tifa!”

The girl frowned at the scolding tone and crossed her arms “I won’t apologise for the truth. Our Goddess saved you and yours put you on your deathbed.”

Cloud growled “I did what was expected of me!”

The woman raised her hands to ward off the argument and Cloud thought he saw her fingers glow. She sighed and moved her hands to untie the linin Cloud’s arm was bound in. Cloud watched and revealed at the pure skin, white once again, with the faintest of rashes where the black mark had stained it. He stared in amazement. He was cured; how was this possible?

“Who are you?” he whispered. Was she a witch or an angel?

“My name is Edea. I am the Head Mage here at Fernweh’s temple,” she gestured to Leon who passed her a bowl from a low shelf.

“A Mage?” he looked at Tifa.

She hummed and said “A magic user. Blades don’t use Sorcerer or Sorceress, they have gender neutral titles.”

Cloud considered the strangeness of the system, how would someone know who to approach if both men and woman could be the same thing? How was a man supposed to determine the healer from the surgeon, or the herbalist from the witch? Was this what was meant when Sephiroth said they didn’t know man from woman; they lumped them together and gave neither their individual respects? How inconsiderate. But it was better than what Cloud had always thought it meant: no pity, mercy or kindness in their world for anyone.

Edea poured water into the bowl and a lovely smell of freshly crushed herbs filled the air with a calming aroma. She picked up a cloth and soaked the fabric in the cool water. Cloud saw her hands were tough as well though the long nails made that fact harder to guess as they were all he could feel at first.

Cloud looked at her warily “Are you a Blade?”

Edea chuckled and her laughter both light up her golden eyes and was itself a lightening sound. “Yes, I am. But have no fear, I will not harm you, it is not in my nature to cause harm.”

Cloud looked confused “What?”

Tifa added another sentence to his words and the woman replied through their translator with her eyebrows slightly raised in alarm and her voice carried an added gentleness “I am a Healer. I tend to the sick and the wounded who are brought before me. I am the one who healed you,” she rung out a cloth and gently washed the reddish skin.

Cloud marvelled at the lack of pain.

“Why?” the woman tilted her head and Cloud elaborated “Why save me? I’m your enemy.”

Edea looked amused “There are enemies in this world, but you make them for yourself. You are not my enemy, but answer honestly: am I yours?”

Cloud’s answer jumped to his lips “Of course, you’re a Blade! Your people have been hurting mine for generations. My Lords call you demons because you turned away from Jenova; She gave us everything.” Tifa spoke with a disapproving expression and Raine’s expression slowly darkened and Leon’s openness was replaced with ice. Cloud gulped and looked at Edea who had only pity in her eyes “Why wouldn’t you be my enemy?”

Edea removed the bandage completely and ran a thumb over her lips in thought.

“Are those your words? Or are those the words of a puppet who cannot think for himself and has never been given the chance to?”

Cloud bristled at the idea she was suggesting; he wasn’t just repeating lines mindlessly. He knew what was right and what was wrong, her attempts at planting doubts just proved his point – all they did was sway others from the path of the good. _Jenova give me strength._

With an attempted growl he replied “I speak for myself.”

Edea held a cautioning hand up to Tifa then looked at Raine with a sorrowful crease between her brows “Vuur buae, rek croemk ora rek ksramssr omd cukkurs.”

Raine snorted and her voice was hard “Rek emkuramca - kruird es ba kvudam osoem em kae vrakamca – verr mus su imvimekrad.”

Edea gently shushed the hardness of the Queen’s words with a soft coo and patient words, like a soft hand petting the angry cat’s back to restore peace “Vaoca, kae Arkhu. Ra ek aeuims omd rek vemsk roqa baam crevvad orr rek reka, ras rek kaa vesr aaeak imcruidad omd axvareamca em rek uvm voae. Kraaduk com ba kresrsamems kur sruka vru roqa maqar reqad vesruis o cosa.”

Tifa breathed out a soft breath of awe and Leon smiled with shining eyes.

Raine took a deep breath and bowed her head with her eyes closed “I kaa aeuir vekduk. Qarae varr, ras rek krov, kpiovd omd ksrissra ek ra emkeksk, oksar orr ra ek Leon’k rakvumkeberesae muv,” she sent her son a playful smirk.

Leon’s face fell very slightly and both Edea and Tifa looked like they were holding back a laugh.

Cloud waited with a growing frown – weren’t they supposed to be including him on these conversations?

“Tifa,” he said.

She glanced at the Queen who nodded “They pity you and your love for no freedom, and they see that today is not the day in which we shall convince each other. Leon will be the one who opens your eyes, not us.”

Cloud gulped “You won’t stay with me?” he sent Leon a nervous glance. Long hours alone with him? Goddess no! He’d prefer Tifa’s company any day then at least he’d have someone to talk to who wouldn’t be a demon.

Tifa’s eyes softened “I will be with you as much as I am able to be. But I have limitations, for now. Don’t worry Cloud, I won’t abandon you so easily,” she crossed her arms and smiled sweetly, reminding Cloud of her long lost dimples and childish giggles.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Cloud.”

At the call of his name from a deep voice Cloud tensed. Leon was watching him with those observant unnatural eyes and he held up a bowl once he had Cloud’s attention. “Ora aeui rimsrae?”

“Are you hungry?” Tifa promptly echoed.

Cloud pressed his lips together in a silent ‘No’ only for his body to loudly disagree at the thought of food in his belly.

Leon’s wry smile appeared again to show his amusement. He inched himself closer to Cloud’s limp body and Edea moved to one side and helped prop Cloud up into a sitting position. Cloud felt his cheeks start to colour and his arms shook as he recalled the last time he’d eaten. He looked firmly away from Leon and willed himself to just pass out or fall into the earth.

Leon caught his chin and tilted his head up and Cloud shut his eyes and held his breath.

Seconds later Leon’s hand left his chin and smacked his cheek very slightly to surprise his eyes open. He was holding a spoon full of liquidised stew to Cloud’s lips, it was drinkable.

 _Oh_. Cloud thought, feeling a little stupid as he let the almost hot soup past his lips and down his throat. _Stew? Why stew?_

His confusion must have been on his face as Leon beckoned Tifa over to speak to her and she promptly provided an answer “Leon thought stew might be a better option for you until you can chew for yourself – so what does that mean?” she tilted her head and giggled when Cloud blushed. Cloud looked away but the more Tifa laughed the more he suspected that she knew exactly what that meant.

She quietened just enough to add another comment “I thought so. Riders don’t take stew out with them, it’s only dried cheval for the road to save pack space,” she hummed thoughtfully.

Cloud blinked and swallowed another mouthful. _So ... he only fed me that way because there was nothing else to offer me?_ He was quiet for a moment. _He’s not forcing that way on me again … that’s good. But why? If he knew how wrong and bad that was why not do it again? What’s he trying to achieve?_

“What’s cheval?” he asked instead to distract himself from thinking in circles.

Tifa shrugged “Horse meat.”

Cloud blanched slightly “They eat their horses?”

Tifa wrapped her arms around her knees “Blades have a few things in abundance: horses, heart and freedom,” she waited until Cloud had taken another mouthful before continuing “There’s no need to be upset for the horses, they live good lives and are never slaughtered, and their bodies go on to feed their human friends after death. It’s considered a high honour for a horse. It was once a myth that eating your horse would empower you with their strength and heart, some still believe it.”

Cloud listened with a nod every now and then with this new information. “Do they eat people too?”

“No.”

“But Seifer said-”

“He’s lying. He’s never even seen a Blade for real, and I’ve lived with them – who do you think is going to have the more informed opinion about them?” she cut him off sharply.

Cloud frowned and looked away, unwilling to argue with her as she was clearly locked into one thought process, only for Leon to pull his head back to offer another bite to eat. Cloud accepted with as neutral a face as possible. The stew was good. It was meaty and there was a hint of root vegetable in the odd lump, it was very easy to eat and his body was warming through with the heated food. He almost felt himself again despite being so lost and so weak.

Cloud thought of how he must look, propped intimately in a stranger’s arms and being fed like a child. The warmth of Leon’s side and arm against his back was solid and oddly comfortable and the quiet chatter of the two other woman as they mixed and crushed herbs and lit candles made the entire room’s mood shift just an inch towards domestic. For some inexplicable reason it felt safe.

Cloud sighed and shook his head at himself with the patience of an adult correcting a mistaken child. He was just very grateful to be alive and fed. That was the only reason he was feeling this way. Plus, he was tired and sick so he obviously wasn’t thinking with full control. He assured himself and sent Jenova a quick prayer that his idle thoughts were just out of control emotions left over from Her trial that he was experiencing – the trial he appeared to be surviving. That had to mean Jenova had plans for him. That had to be a good thing and that was the only reason he was so content in this room. Jenova was with him.


	5. Chapter 5

“Don’t touch me!”

Cloud shoved at the chest holding him in frustration, followed by another surge of anger when his physical protests proved useless. Leon, the demon holding him against his will once again, gave him a look of growing annoyance but said nothing as Cloud pathetically wriggled in his grip sloshing the water around them.

Behind them, Tifa crossed her arms and sighed, “Cloud stop it. You need a bath,” she held up a cloth and quickly dunked it into the pool’s clear water. The pool was outside under a bright sun and filtering through a canopy of leaves from the young saplings acting as partial screens to the village outside them. There were other pools with other Blades bathing but thankfully this particular pool was vacant save for Cloud and Tifa and their demon captor, but he was being forcefully bathed in the open with no privacy and no dignity!

Cloud leaned away from his captor and scowled with his cheeks bright red and eyes tightly closed when he realised Tifa intended to help bathe him. “Don’t look!”

Tifa snorted “Nothing I haven’t seen, and I wouldn’t need to if you’d settle down and stay still!” she wrung another cloth over his shoulders as she scolded him with the briskness of a woman with a job to do. “Honestly, you’d think you had never been washed before with this behaviour.”

Leon chuckled under his breath every so often at Tifa’s tone of voice most likely finding the entire situation amusing as she did irritating. Cloud splashed water into his face in retaliation and smirked at the splutters that followed.

Leon glared and motioned for Tifa to hold him in his stead.

Cloud blushed again when he felt Tifa’s hands on him. He drew his legs close to his body and covered himself with his arms to hide his nakedness from her.

Tifa still had her shirt on, but had discarded her breeches when Cloud started splashing and now even her wet shirt was barely covering. She had at first been patient with Cloud and offered to wash him on their own to which he’d protested vigorously, he’s been determined to do it himself but still could barely even sit upright by himself. It was frustrating to say the least and humiliating.

Leon had been the one to carry him out of the temple and into the Blade’s village where the semi-secluded springs bubbled and Cloud eyed them with relief as it finally meant that the strange paints these magic users placed on him day and night could be taken off. But when Leon made it clear he would be staying, made clear by stripping first Cloud then himself, Cloud started resisting. When Tifa got splashed her patience had ended and she had stopped turning her back to join in restraining Cloud as one would with an immature child.

Leon took his ankle in hand and knelt before him with a washcloth “I’k mus suems su rirs aeui, aeui maad su bosra.”

Tifa translated promptly “He says he’s not going to hurt you, he just wants you to be clean. I think you do too, you stink,” she wrinkled her nose slightly.

Cloud frowned and looked determinedly away from them both as Leon wrestled to stretch out his leg “I wouldn’t if they hadn’t put the paint on me.”

“You would too. When was the last time you washed?” Tifa countered with another pulled face, she began to scrub at his shoulders. “Stop struggling and we’ll be done quickly then you can get your new clothes, Leon found some he thinks will fit – you’re terribly thin you know, need to get some muscles on you,” she squeezed his bicep as if feeling for the same rock hard muscles she and Leon had.

Cloud’s breathing hitched when Leon’s hand moved to his thighs “S-Stop!” he spluttered, mortified and terrified.

Leon hesitated upon seeing the terror on Cloud’s face. He sent a sad smile his way and squeezed his upper arm before continuing. Cloud closed his eyes and felt his face burn once again. _Don’t touch me! Get away, help me Tifa! Goddess …_

Tifa held his arms still “We’ll be quick,” she promised, “Think of something else for a bit.”

Cloud felt his eyes sting with angry tears “Like what?”

“If you had a box with three things in it what would they be and why?”

Cloud opened his eyes and craned his neck to look at her “What?” he deadpanned.

Tifa blushed a little and shrugged defensively “It’s the first thing I could think of. I thought you’d need a distraction.”

Cloud tensed as he realised Leon was now washing his lower stomach. He shut his eyes tightly again and said, “Three things would be … my pendant, a Chocobo and breakfast.”

Tifa laughed at once “Hungry are you?” she squeezed his shoulders and hummed “Okay, why a Chocobo?”

“Because they’re friendly and they can take you places … they remind me of home,” he said at last.

His best friend sighed “I’m sorry. I keep reminding you of awful things, I wish you could see clearly then maybe you wouldn’t want to leave me.” Her arms tightened around him again and her forehead pressed into his neck.

Cloud was about to speak again when another confession tumbled from her mouth “I don’t want to lose you Cloud! I thought about you all those years, knowing that soon it would be your turn to go through that ritual and die … I thought I’d have to go to the afterlife to see you again. I missed you so much. I worked so hard to earn my freedom so I could go and rescue you, but I knew I’d be years too late. I lost hope. All I could do was live for you …”

Cloud listened in stunned silence “You … you would have come back for me?” he whispered.

Tifa nodded against him “Of course. How could I leave you with those monsters?” Cloud felt her lips trembling and knew that her eyes would be glassy with unshed tears, he stared firmly forwards and breathed out a heavy sigh.

“I see … what stopped you?”

“Pardon?”

“What stopped you from leaving?” Cloud clarified with a dull voice feeling that it was both comforting and hollow of her to say this now, but why was it only words?

Tifa was quiet for a moment, either gathering her thoughts or weighing her answer as she had often done in his presence – editing things and translating meanings took a little work for her as the ways of these demons wasn’t always translatable or understandable without an explanation to go with it. Cloud was prepared for a five-minute conversation to have his reply, but her answer was devastatingly simple.

“I’m a slave.”

Cloud paled and he stared over his shoulder in horror “You- What!”

She squeezed his shoulders with her roughened hands – hands worn by labour for these monsters!

Her face was resigned to patience once again “That’s the closest translation of the word, and it’s true in many aspects. I have a Keeper or Master, and I work for my keep and if I cause too much trouble or am highly disliked I can be sold elsewhere but only by Arkhu Raine, plus I don’t own anything but the clothes on my back. But the actual reason for being called a slave is because I’m tied to the land and cannot leave it or travel without permission, that’s all.” She shrugged as if her words were merely small talk.

“I guess a closer translation of my position would be … prisoner of the worked land, or maybe horseless rider on a never journey – it gets complicated so most refer to it as slavery, though the word hardly does our position in life any favours.”

She appeared to be unaware of Cloud’s empty-eyed stare as she spoke on and on about her life as a prisoner as if commenting on the weather.

Cloud lost his patience in her next remark: “It’s not that different to normal life-”

Cloud turned around with his jaw agape “Normal life? You’re a slave!”

Tifa blinked and nodded “Yes. In a rough translation and comparison, I am, but so are you, technically.” Cloud felt fear grip his gut, but Tifa kept talking “It’s the same as living normally. Most people in the world don’t ever leave the village they were born in, work for their keep and have an elder teach them life skills.”

Shaking his head Cloud countered, “But they have homes to call their own and don’t have to ask a master’s permission to live their lives.”

At her raised eyebrow Cloud felt a tickle of fear run down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold water droplets he was bathing in.

His old friend pushed his wet bangs out of his eyes “Really? What did you own in Nibelheim?”

He floundered for an answer but she pressed on.

“Could you go to Midgar whenever you liked, drink alcohol when you wished or break into the meat supplies when it was desired? Did you learn what you wanted or what was dictated by your Lord and master?”

Cloud’s tongue was heavy in his mouth.

All he owned was the clothes on his back; the houses and lands of Nibelheim were owned by the temple and Sephiroth and given generously to the people in exchange for work and worship. Whenever an event needed planning Sephiroth was consulted and if he disagreed then his word was final. He made the rules about alcohol and travel and trade, even marriages and who would be the village teacher … But Cloud wasn’t a slave.

“I’m not a slave.”

Tifa quietly nodded “Yes you _were_ … and yes you _are_. Sorry Cloud, when you’re better, you’ll have to be put to work.”

Cloud spat at the idea “No way!” he splashed Leon out of spite and hissed “I’m not going to be a demon’s workhand!”

“If you don’t work then you’ll be sold to someone else,” Tifa warned with a note of worry in her voice. “The Blades aren’t cruel and you don’t have to do anything they wouldn’t do, save fight, but if you’re sold I can’t promise you any kind of security like what we can give … what if you’re sold to a pervert? Or to a Lord who’ll never let you go?” her hands tightened their grip on his skin again, bathing forgotten. “Please … please don’t make trouble.”

Cloud was torn. Those possibilities were very frightening, and as a boy barely growing into manhood, he was not likely to be treated nicely by any other slave driver. And yet he still muttered as if he didn’t care, “I’ll be away from demons …” only for Tifa to voice his thoughts.

“You’ll be given to another. If you’re here then I can help you.”

Cloud lowered his head “What can a slave do?” he asked rhetorically.

At his hopeless, flat tone the girl was quiet in thought. When she spoke again her voice was dull and low, “There’s a way out here if you work hard, Blades reward merit, and you could earn your freedom and right to walk out of their lives for good. And you’ll be stronger for it.”

Cloud looked back at her “There’s a way out?”

Tifa nodded and brushed her dark hair behind her ear absently “It was my plan to come save you from Nibelheim. If a ‘slave’,” she rolled her eyes at the word “shows skill, heart, determination and a desire for freedom amongst other skills that the Blades admire, there is a reward for it.” She began to look excited “Once a year a slave can prove their skills and if recognised is offered freedom to leave and live their own life, or a place among the Blade people, all privileges and responsibilities included.”

Cloud smiled slowly “You were going to win your freedom to come save me?”

Tifa hesitantly shrugged “Ish. Don’t worry about it. Got to get you cleaned!” her voice became chipper and enthusiastic at the idea of getting a bath and Cloud was instantly suspicious.

“Tifa,” he said warningly “What does ‘ish’ mean?” he demanded.

The girl was quiet for a determinedly long time, Cloud’s neck began to hurt as he peered over his shoulder to watch her and warn her that he was refusing to let her comment pass by like an insignificant leaf in the wind.

Eventually, Leon brought their standoff to an end. He stood up and looped his arms under Cloud’s and heaved him out to a blanket Tifa had previously placed for him. Once Cloud was laying down he was handed a towel and he weakly began to pat himself dry. At least, he thought to himself, he had this dignity.

Leon turned his back to him and moved to stand by Tifa, who was wringing out her shirt. He put a hand on her bare shoulder and she barely reacted other than a soft exchange likely about the conversation he had been barred to. Cloud growled to himself when he saw him standing by Tifa’s side as she was naked and he wasn’t averting his eyes, defiling demon. As if affirming his thoughts, the Blade glanced up and down her body with a thoughtful look.

The Blade pulled his shirt over his head and held it out in an offering that Tifa took with a hum of pleasure, her shirt was completely soaked and her trousers were out of reach. She slipped the large shirt over her head and it fell to her hips with ease. She laughed and pulled at the front a little while waving her finger at its owner.

“Ek es kae curuir?”

Leon snorted as well and casually waded into the pool for a wash of his own, his fingers working skilfully through his hair and along his limbs as his eyes closed in pleasure. He sighed deeply and shuddered lightly at the cold water running over his skin.

Cloud caught Tifa casting him an appreciative glance up and down into the water beyond Cloud’s sight and a small blush coloured along her nose as she pulled her strange breeches back on. She didn’t look away though and Leon didn’t appear the slightest bit worried that someone was watching him bathe. Cloud looked between them with rising outrage – what on Jenova’s Earth was she doing?

Cloud cleared his throat to get her attention – Jenova’s Comet, what did she see in a demon? From his perspective he saw strong muscles flexing under weathered skin, muscles too tough for a moral being, with an occasional scar leaving pink or white lines to break the continuous flow. His hair was tangled and ragged, uncivilised and wild and those eyes were just inhuman.

A hand on his shoulder nearly made him leap out of his skin, stifling the shriek he gasped up at Tifa’s teasing face. She looked at Leon then back to Cloud “See something you like?”

Cloud spluttered, outraged.

* * *

Later, once dressed in clean clothes and placed back into a healer’s bed, he sat listening intently to Tifa’s voice in his ear as the Blade’s chief Mage instructed the Queen’s son in a routine to help Cloud recover his strength and movement, something Cloud was looking forwards to with zeal.

“He must have Dandelion tea twice a day, for his joints and for his hydration,” Edea ran a hand over Cloud’s inner wrist with a crease between her brows “See the veins? How they have shrunken? He is still rejecting too much water.”

Leon nodded and held up the plant in question “Just hot water?”

“Yes, leaves mostly, a flower won’t hurt but it tastes more unpleasant.” She picked up a new leaf as Tifa took a small breath, her pace was almost as fast as their talking and she indicated who was speaking with a point of her finger. Cloud was grateful and impressed with her level of submersion in their conversation – she had learnt a lot.

“Cilantro he must eat with every meal for at least a Luna cycle, Geostigma is a difficult affliction, often it can linger and cause weakness or patient harm. These leaves will try to remove anything unnatural inside him.”

Cloud watched, propped up in Tifa’s lap and surrounded by the earthy, slightly moist and fresh smell of the herbs as the two Blades discussed the properties of the medicine. Their words were, through Tifa’s mouth, very advanced for their descriptions as beasts and demons. They were able to talk about medicine and it was clear they understood it as Cloud recalled having Dandelion tea whenever his tummy felt painful as a child.

Edea picked up a final herb. “Alfalfa leaves. They can strengthen the stomach and encourage a good appetite,” she cast her eyes over Cloud’s small frame with the same worried look “His weight worries me …” she admitted, at last, making Cloud blush at the comment.

Leon nodded politely but refrained from commenting.

Cloud was easily the smallest in the room. Even though he was inches above Tifa he was so scrawny it barely counted. Thin arms and legs and his ribs were snug under his skin for all to see, but he was not unhealthily thin.

Edea began to prattle on about a diet, occasionally asking Cloud how much meat and grains he ate, the answer for both was quite small and she at once insisted that he should bulk up in those areas. Cloud was reluctantly impressed with Leon’s patience and attention. He had begun to zone out, but Leon looked as attentive as ever and even prompted deeper explanations or instructions and even recited back the instructions he needed to remember.

 _So he’s not as dumb as he looks._ Cloud sighed.

“Exercises should begin as soon as possible. Once he can move on his own go through the standard strengthening procedure and set him to work. If there are any signs of the Stigma remaining or resurfacing, you bring him here at once!”

She handed Tifa Cloud’s first set of herbal tea and gracefully got to her feet, her robes swishing and her long nails disappearing into the folds “Do any of you have questions?”

Tifa raised a hand after making sure Cloud had his hands firmly around the warm cup “Vros demd uk vurd verr ra ba duems?”

Leon questioned her “Vros demd uk vurd verr ra ba duems?”

With a nod, Tifa answered “aeak, ra vurdad vesr Chocobos bocd em sra qorraae qerrosa. ra ek suud vesr omekork.”

The Blade looked thoughtful and inspired he nodded “I’rr orromsa kukasrems,” he reached out and rested a hand against Tifa’s upper arm “Kuork verr ba burm kuum, Cid com’s rakika. Aeui’rr maad su rarv rek suu, srara ora mema korak axvacsems”

“Sromd aeui.”

The gold and silver eyed Blades left with relaxed footsteps, talking once again but this time about a subject that set Leon into deep thought with his brows low and concentration entirely captured.

Cloud sipped his tea and muttered, “What did you say?”

Tifa brushed together the piles of herbs and placed them into their bowls and into their pouches with an ease born from repetitiveness. “I wanted to know what work you would start with once you were strong enough. I told Leon you like working with animals, he said that he can get you chores in the fields when the new foals are born.”

Cloud frowned “I’m not working for them.”

“Well how else will you repay their kindness?” Tifa asked airily. She placed the herb pouches into a small box and smiled “Leon says there’s nine mares expecting soon, we will need extra help so Cid, the wisest with horses is going to need me too.” She cast a glowing look over her shoulder to Cloud “It’ll be like old times.”

“Yeah … the birds used to lay and when the chicks were born-”

“They’d peck at you like you were one too!” Tifa laughed. Cloud smiled and put his cup down to smother his own laughs – one hand rested on his stomach as they bubbled up from the depths of him.

Tifa gasped suddenly, her eyes lit up like stars and she waved a hand madly as her words tripped on her tongue “How about that time the Matron bird picked you up and put you in her nest too?”

Cloud groaned and hid the grin with both hands “Jenova’s Comet … I’d forgotten that.”

Tifa hummed “I never could.”

Cloud tilted his head “Really?”

“No.” She knelt closer to him and ran a hand through his hair “Chocobo-Head …”

Cloud leant into her touch and sighed heavily. He watched Tifa’s head tilt as she whispered why he was so sad. After hesitating he quietly admitted “How am I going to get home?” at her worried gasp he spoke speaking “I can’t move, I’ve been made a slave. They won’t let me go, you won’t help me leave either … you weren’t going to gain the freedom to leave, were you?”

She sat back on her heels and looked down at him with no guilt in her eyes but a gentle apology for the wedge it was putting between them. “No.”

Cloud shut his eyes. “You want to be one of them?” his eyes pressed close together in an attempt to keep from tearing up then and there. _No … Tifa how could you!_

“Why?”

Tifa shifted closer “Cloud … I admire them for what they truly are. You’ll see … they’re so amazing. They’ve taught me many languages and they have traditions and stories from many, many places. They’ve opened my eyes to worlds hidden from most.” She shook with the emphasis on her words “If I become a Blade then I’ll gain more than any woman in any other society. I can fight in an army, I’ll own a horse, I can earn my own currency and choose my own spouse or unmarried partner, and leave them when desired. I control when I have children, and they’ll be raised with all the freedoms I want. I’ll even be able to come and go when I please, alone or with a party. How many women do you know who have that much independence?” she pulled on his arm in an attempt to catch his eye but Cloud could hardly bear to listen.

She lowered her head “I’m sorry you don’t see what I see. You’re a man, any other country, Nibelheim, you’ll do just fine. But what about me?” her voice began to rise “Married off and made a man’s property? Having kids all my life with no say when? Stuck in a house or village with nothing to call my own? This is an opportunity for me that’s like no other. If you can’t understand my emotions towards them then at least see the advantages this way.”

Cloud refused to look at her. Selling her soul to the devils for earthy opportunities. Just as Sephiroth said … they ruin everything and turn the good to bad. Tifa could have had a holy life, free from responsibility and material wants and only focused on emotion and religious joys … _She’s lost. Jenova … she’s lost …_

Tifa’s hand withdrew sadly. “Cloud talk to me.”

Cloud turned his back on her and closed his eyes to rest.

“Cloud, please … I want this … can’t you respect that? Can’t you respect _me_? Do I deserve that old life?”

Just breathe. Don’t look at her. The light behind his eyelids stung his eyes and they trembled as he feigned rest. A hitch in her breathing beat harshly on his resolve, but he didn’t move.

“Cloud?”

_Tifa …_

Minutes later Tifa left on light feet. Leaving only the promise of coming back with food later in the day. The room had lost the homely feel and he was alone.


	6. Chapter 6

“Ora aeui varr sudoae?”

Cloud sighed heavily “Why do you bother? I can’t talk like that.”

Leon took the clay pot off the small fire and poured it into a cup with freshly cut leaves, he glanced at Cloud’s response and kept talking.

He spoke in short sentences and left long pauses for Cloud to answer if he felt like it. Cloud didn’t often try. Tifa had left two days ago and hadn’t returned, after a complex series of gestures and words Cloud understood that she was working and couldn’t be here, privately he thought that she was still upset with him for reminding her of her deviance.

“Arkhu rok Tifa vesr rar kur sudoae, aeui ivkas rar omd kra maadk okkiromca osoem. Edea vomsk aeui su kes uis em sra kim, I’rr brems aeui su rar ku aeui com sord,” Leon spoke on, Cloud rolling his eyes at the growls, clicks and harsh bites of his words and made a private joke to himself about the Blades biting their own tongues off so often they had to growl.

Leon pressed a cup into his hands and nodded “Dremd.”

Cloud brought to tea to his face and inhaled “Dandelions …” he murmured.

“Danhaelions?” Leon repeated.

Cloud snorted despite himself, noticing that Leon had attempted to mimic his words several times before, and each one more wrong than the last. The letter ‘T’ in particular he seemed awkward for him, he was always making a K sound where a T should be- he noticed his especially with Tifa’s name, and only with a frown could he get it right.

The constant mutters repeating his words made Cloud worry at first, but eventually he ignored Leon’s attempts at mimicking, save for when he got a word so horribly wrong it made him cringe. Now he just found it annoying.

Leon’s lips twitched into a small smile at Cloud’s humour. “No?” he asked.

Cloud shook his head “No,” he agreed.

One word Leon had picked up rather quickly was ‘No’, not surprisingly with how often Cloud had refused his offers. But he was, Cloud reluctantly acknowledged, a fast learner as in the space of a few days he had picked up ‘No’ and used it correctly, along with ‘Cloud’ and ‘Yes’ and ‘Demon’. That last one mostly due to Cloud’s own mutterings.

 _So he’s not as empty-headed as I thought._ Cloud played it off remembering that even Chocobos could be taught to sing tunes, this Blade was no different but had a finer tongue.

Leon sighed and drank his own tea, his nettle instead of dandelion, and asked something in his own language that Cloud just shrugged to.

Leon picked up Cloud’s tea and spoke very slowly “Domdareum. Danhealion.”

Cloud glared. “No.”

He wasn’t a fool; he wouldn’t be tricked into speaking the devil’s tongue. After the first few attempts, Cloud had started his usual refusal, which had prompted Leon’s fast recognition of ‘no’, and he would not be broken. However, despite his refusals he was starting to recognise a few words, and that scared him – the dark magic seeping into him without his consent and twisting his mind. He’d been having trouble sleeping as the concept developed, it was all he could think about.

Leon sighed while Cloud finished his herbal drink, setting his own down with more force than necessary. “Aeui’ra ok ksibburm ok o kira!”

Raising an eyebrow at his captor, Cloud resisted the urge to stick his tongue out.

Leon’s hand ran through his hair whenever he expressed something like frustration or anger, constant contact with him over two days had made Cloud familiar with these little traits and he no longer tensed whenever Leon raised a hand to his head. He wasn’t going to be struck, it was just a nervous habit. It was strangely human.

A lot of things about him were strangely human. The way he brushed his hair from his eyes, the wild locks around his chin when they tickled his neck, the way he winced when he drank his tea too hot. It was only little things, but Cloud appreciated the façade and the detail in it, he was able to pretend that he was just in a foreign country with people who were so different they were alien.

While Cloud mused to himself and drank his own herbal drink, Leon put his cup away then stood and stretched his arms above his head, Cloud envious of his ease of movement. He reached for a blanket that told Cloud they were going out.

Over two days he had learnt the routine. He was taken out to a different part of the village, and he’d sit alongside Leon as he did some menial task or other, he would have napped but was too nervous to do so out in the open with strange Blades’ all around him. He failed to see the point of these outings. However, he would not complain, he welcomed the sun and the fresh air and quickly drew strength from both.

Leon placed him on the blanket with a quick tug under Cloud’s arms, Cloud was growing aggravated with the amount of manhandling but was still unable to sit upright for more than twenty minutes so decided there was no use fighting it. Cloud tensed when Leon’s muscled arms slipped around his waist and under his knees, he couldn’t get over the intimidating strength even the females had in this demon’s den. Their strength was unnatural, and he couldn’t understand how ordinary men and women would even get muscles like that from anything less than witchcraft.

The pair made their way through the halls of the temple, Cloud spotted other Blades like Edea, with tattooed markings on their faces carrying food or water or candles and occasionally singing. They greeted Leon as they passed, and Cloud too as Leon gave his name when Cloud pressed his lips together tightly.

_It’s my name!_

The temple looked carved from the mountain itself from the outside, and inside it was decorated and cared for so well that it appeared as beautiful as the mansions of wealthy men that Cloud had heard about. Their scary deities and brightly coloured paintings along the walls loomed down and almost chased each other across the walls and ceilings as if they had been alive and absorbed into the stone. The colours warped around each other like dancing silk and created the most beautiful scenes that even took Cloud’s stubborn breath away. They were nothing like his intimidating and judging goddess …

The corridors and large rooms were becoming lighter, and Cloud knew they were close to the exit now.

Cloud squinted as they left the temple and made their way through the Blades’ lands, the sun was warm but blinding, he guessed it was about midday. Leon strode with Cloud’s weight without trouble, Cloud felt his muscles bunch and flex around him and sadly compared it his own limited strength.

The houses looked the same as always, the large mass beds making Cloud think of stables and pens of wood and lumber. The countless people in the dirt and grassy streets walking about like an ordinary village, some carried animals, others chased children, and others relaxed in the sun.

They passed all that typical village life by and approached the gate against the wall of massive stone, upon seeing it Cloud’s attitude perked up like a flower in a spring sunbeam.

Outside! In neutral ground! He was so pleased he almost wished he could hug his captor.

They passed through the gates, and Leon paused for a moment, looking about and focusing on the individuals scattered about the grassy lows before the mountains. Eventually, he spotted who he sought and carried Cloud over to them.

Halfway, Cloud saw them too. Tifa and the Queen.

The Queen was brushing a mare’s hide with a well-worn brush, each stroke of the tool followed by a pet of her hand. The mare was fat with foal, her attention on Tifa as she caressed her velvet nose and whispered gentle words. Cloud saw Tifa’s smile, and how tender and skilled her hands were as she soothed the horse’s attention away from the brush and onto the affection she had to offer, she had learnt well. Her aura was one of ease, and she was utterly relaxed and welcoming to the animal, Cloud realised the skill of his village couldn’t hold a candle to her’s at this very moment.

“Musrar.”

The Queen looked back at the approaching pair, Cloud shrunk away from her eyes.

She graced them each with a welcoming smile, one significantly warmer than the other, and gestured for Cloud to be placed a small distance away “Suud kurmems su aeui busr. Leon, verr aeui ravroca Tifa’k okkeksomca kur o vrera.”

Tifa looked torn between outrage and anger “Arkhu!” she exclaimed in protest, the mare’s tail flicked and her ears went back in surprise.

The Queen soothed the horse as Cloud was settled upon a small slope, one that propped him up to see the views around him with no strain on his back and he watched Tifa’s increasing anger with confusion.

“I du mus voms su sord su rek. Ra’k mus raorms rek rakkum,” her agitated words clashed with her uncertain stance, clearly challenging the Queen was not in her nature was it was in Leon’s.

Cloud gave Leon a look, and the brunet male only smiled at him, putting his hands behind Cloud’s head just long enough to brush his hair down comfortably and then letting him go.

A raised eyebrow was the Queen’s response to Tifa’s outburst, but it was Leon who challenged over his shoulder, “Com o varkum ba vimekrad kur o vrums sraae vara maqar soisrs?”

The verbal challenge halted Tifa’s anger, and the Queen gave Leon a stern raised eyebrow. Tifa resolved to the stubbornness Cloud remembered her pulling when she was given a chore she disliked in her youth. Her arms crossed over her chest, and she seethed in silence.

Leon took the brush from her hand when he stood before her, he tried to catch her eye but in the end, Leon addressed the side of her face, “Ra’k kekkad aeui,” Tifa didn’t appear moved. “Ra vuird mus raorm omae vurd kruk uir krorad sumsia, bis ra surd ka ruv su koae aeuir moka curracsrae. Tifa.” Cloud blinked when he heard Leon say Tifa’s name accurately, T and all, and the girl herself looked surprised too.

Her brown eyes moved between Leon and Cloud as her anger began to drain away. “Raorrae?”

Leon nodded “Ra com’s koae es bis ra sarrk es su ka orr sra seka vesruis vurdk. Ra kekkak aeui.”

Tifa looked down indecisively when both Queen and her son placed a hand on her shoulder. Tifa read their faces carefully then smiled. “Kae Haors ek aeuirk su cukkomd.”

The Queen chuckled and leaned in to whisper something that lit Tifa’s smile up like a small star.

Leon took over grooming the heavily pregnant mare, his hands and utter ease even better than Tifa’s, and the girl stepped lightly to Cloud’s side and sat beside him with her eyes fixed on the horizon. Cloud watched her and waited for a greeting of some kind.

The wind blew at her hair, and she tilted her face up into it “Vros o meca doae.”

Cloud didn’t answer, he ran a hand over the grass under his palms and let the tips tickle the skin of his underarms. Horses and the occasional dog roamed the land before him, and they ate, bathed and relaxed in harmony. But what Cloud enjoyed most was the sun.

He sighed deeply “I missed the sun.”

“I raord aeui kekkad ka.”

“Can you speak normally?”

Tifa sent him a mischievous grin “Mu. Aeui roqa su raorm, mu kura krurscisk kur aeui, Cloud.”

Cloud raised an eyebrow when she said his name in their accent “Tifa what is going on?”

Tifa sighed slowly and put a hand to her mouth “I kvaod,” her hands moved to her ears then she snapped her fingers as if she had just gotten a splendid idea “Aeui reksam, sram aeui imdarksomd.”

Considering her actions with a small amount of dread, Cloud guessed “Are you going to keep talking to me like this? Forever?” he checked when she nodded to his first question.

With another nod and an ‘aeak’ he groaned “Why?”

“Because you are a mule,” the Queen answered suddenly. Cloud and Tifa turned to her, Raine’s hands were busy feeling the swollen belly of the mare she was tending to, tending to as if she were a stable hand and not a Queen. She possessed the skill of a common worker and yet she hadn’t lost her dignified persona for a second. Exactly like her weapon of choice, she was doubled edged through and through. She gave Cloud her full attention once she had finished checking, her lips twitching into a smile as she scratched the mare’s ears.

“Leon tells me you are unwilling to learn. Foolish boy. Tifa will only speak to you like this, until you understand the pain of your hurtful words, until you are willing to learn.”

Cloud was close to horrified, he looked between them frantically “That’s not fair! How will I-”

“You must learn.” The Queen cut in. Her expression high and mighty once again with no room for arguments.

Cloud shut up out of fear of her wrath.

Leon rubbed at the bridge of his nose “Aeui roqa mu voseamca,” he muttered to the Queen, loud enough for it to be a challenge but soft enough to exclude both Tifa and Cloud from the conversation.

The Queen rolled her eyes at him. She turned, cupped his cheek in a Motherly way, and ran her thumb over his jaw as she examined his eyes, “Aeui’ra qarae vrusacseqa uk rek. Ku rakvumkebra omd emqaksad … vrae?”

Leon smiled very slightly “Bacoika ra ek ksibburm. Ra vuird mus dea, bis maesrar verr ra _reqa_ ,” with a glance in Cloud’s direction he said “I voms su bareaqa srara’k ruva kur rek, kur orr sra imkursimosak em Har kroduv. Sraae com’s du o vrums sraae vara maqar soisrs.”

The Mother looked proud for a moment before kissing his forehead “Leon, kum, ek sraae ora ovora uk sraer kravvordad reka ur mus duakm’s cromsa sra rirs sraae du rasordrakk. Aeuir ruva verr ba aeuir duvmkorr.”

His response was a smirk “Va’rr kaa” He ended the conversation.

Cloud turned to Tifa, blocked and cut off from all communication with her “Tifa, what are they saying?” She spoke in the Blade’s tongue again, and Cloud pushed at her as hard as he could “Just tell me!”

“Fine!” His old friend promptly shoved him to the ground and leered over him like a wolf. “You wanted me to speak so you had better listen,” she growled as Cloud’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “You need to grow up and open your eyes to what’s around you right now and not keep repeating what you’ve been told like a toddler learning his first words. I’ve tried being gentle and understanding but if the silent treatment is the only thing that will work then so be it.”

Cowering under her angry rant and his cheek stinging sharply Cloud couldn’t have spoken even if he wanted to.

“We’ve been nice, and we won’t be cruel to you, ever. But if you won’t cooperate then neither will I. Ku kicd es!” she finished her words and made to get up and stomp off when the Queen snapped an order back at her to stay.

She sat and glared at her feet.

Cloud sat up slowly and cautiously turned away from her, unsure what to do.

Leon was giving them worried glances and Cloud glared at him, convinced it was his fault somehow. He was tired, and angry, and stuck immobile for Goddess knows how long, and now not even Tifa would speak to him.

Leon walked over on light feet, Cloud didn’t hear him approach and barely realised when his bare feet stepped into his low cast vision. The Blade put a hand on Cloud’s shoulder “Ras’k vord.”

Cloud prepared his standard response to the inappropriate language, but Leon caught him off guard by grabbing his upper arms and hauling him to his feet.

Cloud gasped, clutching at Leon himself as his unfeeling legs failed to support him. He looked Leon in the face, they were very close now and saw the brunet trying to get his feet under him, holding his weight and nudging his legs with a free foot. Cloud licked his lips and winced as his knees shook and his back curved in preparation for falling.

Another pair of strong hands rested on his shoulders, he looked back to see Tifa help to straighten his stance, her hands pressing on his spine and even going as far as to push his knees back until they locked him upright.

Cloud trembled terribly with the effort of keeping his limbs as they were set. Leon leant him against his side, and Cloud let him shoulder his weight while he found his balance. He groaned, at last, having stood for two minutes, and his legs crumpled under him.

His helpers hurriedly lowered him to his knees and he rested against them, feeling dizzy.

The Queen had watched curiously, and now Cloud watched her turn and walk away, a horse he recognised as her’s trotting over to meet her. She patted his neck and swung herself onto his back like a bird taking flight. They rode off without a backwards glance.

Tifa hummed thoughtfully “Vrara ek kra suems?”

“Srara roqa baam bomdes ravursk maorbae, kra verr kaas vesr sra vosrurk os sra reqar.”

“Sros’k o rums voae.”

“Srara ora komae srek seka.”

Cloud listened ignorantly to the conversation between friend and enemy and pushed them with his shoulders to make them stop. Unfortunately, they took his irritancy for eagerness and helped him stand again.

“No, stop!” he hissed, Tifa and Leon giving him more weight this time. Cloud’s eyes promptly rolled back into his head, and he collapsed into the Blade’s arms.

His eyes opened moments later when he remembered how his body primarily functioned. He saw Leon and Tifa looking worried at him and exchanging more quick conversation over his head. Leon’s steady hand propped up his neck in a familiar way, and Tifa’s fingers were resting on the inside of Cloud’s wrist. The blond sighed and breathed deeply to regain his strength. _How can I do anything if I can’t even stand up?_

Tifa held up one of Cloud’s legs and pressed along the muscle, tutting and clicking in primal conversation as Leon held Cloud’s shoulders upright. “I com’s kemd omaesrems vrums, Leon.”

“Geostigma.”

The word caught Cloud’s interest “Geostigma?” he repeated.

Leon nodded and pointed at Cloud’s legs “Es rok koda aeui vaod,” he made his hand shake, and Cloud winced when he realised that it was exactly how his legs felt right now.

“Vros du va du?” Tifa asked, looking concerned again.

Leon’s brow lowered in deep thought. Cloud met his eyes and wondered why he was bothering to help, apparently his Goddess had taken his movements in exchange for his transgressions. Why else could she allow him to be weaker than a demon?

The Blade brought a hand to his mouth and whistled long and clear into the air. Cloud saw Tifa looking about and copied her to see what on earth was happening. He spotted it eventually, before Tifa even, a horse with a dark coat trotting towards them and following Leon’s call with forward facing ears.

The horse and rider greeted each other warmly, Leon raised a hand to pet the neck, and the nose lowered its noble head to push at Leon’s head and shoulders. Cloud breathed in the distinct animal smell and found himself relaxing, the gentle intelligence in the horse’s eyes affected him. He had always been fond of animals. He would pretend, for sanity’s sake, that this creature was just another animal and not a familiar.

Leon helped Cloud to stand again, giving Tifa several quick orders as Cloud lost his balance, and before Cloud knew it he was limply slung over the horse’s back, his chest resting against the horse’s neck and his legs dangling by the shoulders.

Tifa was grinning “Rurd sesrs, Cloud.”

Cloud twisted his fingers into the horse’s mane when Tifa motioned for him to grip himself in place, and with more effort than he was willing to admit, he pushed himself upright. He sat comfortably as he could while bareback on a horse and took the height advantage to look around without trouble. The animal shifted under him, and he cautiously balanced as best he could, fearing the drop with every shaky second he was upright.

Leon clicked his tongue and patted the animal’s side, stepping forwards and leading the way towards the village walls once again.

Cloud’s spirits lowered. His small time of freedom was up.

Tifa walked beside Cloud and the horse, reaching up occasionally to adjust Cloud’s hands or legs to be more comfortable, he smiled at her uncertainly “Um … where are we going?”

She shrugged and asked Leon before answering him with gestures “Va’ra suems kvekkems,” she moved her arms forwards and then around to her sides, repeating the action a few times before Cloud took a guess.

“Swimming?”

“Kvekkems!” she cheered, clapping her hands. She jabbed at him in the side, repeating the word over and over, intending Cloud to say it too. Cloud refused as usual until he felt himself slipping.

“Tifa, I’m falling!” he warned.

She pulled on a lock of hair “Kvekkems.”

He began to panic “I’m going to fall!”

Tifa shrugged and held up her hands “Kvekkems.”

Cloud gripped with all his might “If I say it will you help me?” she nodded, and he spat out the cursed syllables before he could fall completely. Tifa pulled him back into place and murmured the word a few more times, emphasising the accent and the pauses between sounds – Cloud covered his face with dread filling his heart. _Goddess forgive me …_

Leon threw an amused look behind him “Suems vesr suisr ruqa, Tifa?”

Tifa laughed and nodded, patting Cloud’s side as they spoke, Cloud helplessly guessing once again. _If only I knew what they were saying …_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, huh? Sorry about that, COTRC grabbed all my attention, and still has it to be honest. These updates will be a bit random because of it, though if you follow me on Tumblr 'thequalityrunaway' I'll hopefully say when I'm next thinking of posting a chapter to this story - it's gonna be a big one so if you're still reading this; be prepared for a long haul!
> 
>  
> 
> Cloud's ever stubborn. Don't worry, he'll lighten up ... eventually ... really eventually ...  
> Has anyone had any luck decoding the language? There's a bunch here to work with, let me know, I'm very curious.


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